Singles Play Shines on Day One of the Belmont Fall Invitational

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Getting their fall schedule of tournaments underway Friday at the Belmont Tennis Complex, the Belmont University men's tennis team claimed five singles wins and a doubles victory in a hidden dual against in-town foes Vanderbilt and Lipscomb.
 
The Bruins began the three-day Belmont Fall Invitational with a convincing win at the top doubles spot before taking five of seven singles matches.
 
Making his return after spending last year as a volunteer coach, graduate Marko Ilic teamed up with senior Jack Randall to defeat the Commodores' Macsen Sisam and Michael Ross, 6-2. Juniors Tomas Luis and Alfred Wallin took three games in the six-game set at No. 2 doubles versus Vanderbilt's Nathan Cox and Mitchell Deames, while junior Niklas von Hellens and sophomore Drake transfer Gabriel Sardo battled the Bisons' Maksim Bogdanovich and Alex Mesquida in a 6-2 loss.
 
Both Ilic and Randall faced tough competition in singles action, taking on Sisam and Bogdanovich, respectively, as Wallin, Luis, Cruz, von Hellens and Sardo came away with match wins.
 
After a tightly-contested opening set (7-6), Wallin dismissed the Commodores' Ross 6-2 in the second set. Both Luis and Cruz battled through hard-fought matches with Luis dispatching Vanderbilt's Connor Robb-Wilcox 6-4, 7-5 after dropping the first set, 7-6 (4), and Cruz winning a pair of tiebreaks, 7-2 and 7-4, against Deames.
 
Von Hellens secured a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Mesquida and Sardo defeated Lipscomb's Jake Penny 7-5, 6-2.
 
The Bruins return to the courts Saturday for a hidden dual against reigning Horizon League champion Youngstown State. First serve is slated for approximately 4 p.m. with former Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee Tech taking on the Commodores and Bisons in a hidden dual at 11 a.m.
 
Doubles
Marko Ilic/Jack Randall (Belmont) def. Macsen Sisam/Michael Ross (Vanderbilt) 6-2
Nathan Cox/Mitchell Deames (Vanderbilt) def. Tomas Luis/Alfred Wallin (Belmont) 6-3
Maksim Bogdanovich/Alex Mesquida (Lipscomb) def. Niklas von Hellens/Gabriel Sardo (Belmont) 6-2
 
Singles
Alfred Wallin (Belmont) def. Michael Ross (Vanderbilt) 7-6 (3), 6-2
Tomas Luis (Belmont) def. Connor Robb-Wilcox (Vanderbilt) 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5
Ian Cruz (Belmont) def. Mitchell Deames (Vanderbilt) 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4)
Macsem Sisam (Vanderbilt) def. Marko Ilic (Belmont) 6-3, 6-4
Maksim Bogdanovich (Lipscomb) def. Jack Randall (Belmont) 6-0, 6-3
Niklas von Hellens (Belmont) def. Alex Mesquida (Lipscomb) 7-5, 6-3
Gabriel Sardo (Belmont) def. Jake Penny (Lipscomb) 7-5, 6-2
 
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