Bruins Collect Three More Match Wins Saturday at Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Continuing play Saturday at Vanderbilt University's Black & Gold Invitational, the Belmont University men's tennis team picked up three more match victories with two singles wins and a doubles triumph. Junior Ian Cruz and redshirt junior Deigo Castro teamed up for a narrow doubles victory, while Cruz and junior Ruben Busch were triumphant in singles action.
 
Taking on Middle Tennessee State University's Demis Taramonlis and Kristian Thomas, Cruz and Castro prevailed in a tightly-contested tiebreak that resulted in a 10-8 win for the Bruins. The match was Belmont's lone doubles contest of the day.
 
In singles, Cruz gave up only five games in a dominant 6-3, 6-2 win over Memphis' Sam Reeve. Busch was met with a little more adversity in his three-set match against the host Commodores' Paul Wang. After winning the opening set 6-4, Busch rebounded from a 6-4 set two loss with a decisive 6-4 win in the third.
 
Despite taking the first set with a lopsided 7-0 tiebreaker, Castro was unable to close out the Blue Raiders' Karim Al-Amin. After being blanked in the first-set tiebreak, Al-Amin won set two 6-0 before finishing the match with a 7-5 third set.
 
Senior Niklas von Hellens was forced to retire in his match versus Vanderbilt's Oscar Jensen despite claiming the first set, 6-1.
 
The Bruins' complete results from Saturday are below.
 
Doubles
Diego Castro/Ian Cruz (Belmont) def. Demis Taramonlis/Kristian Thomas (MTSU) 8-7 (8)
 
Singles
Karim Al-Amin (MTSU) def. Diego Castro (Belmont) 6-7 (0), 6-0, 7-5
Ian Cruz (Belmont) def. Sam Reeve (Memphis) 6-3, 6-2
Ruben Busch (Belmont) def. Paul Wang (Vanderbilt) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Oscar Jensen (Vanderbilt) def. Niklas von Hellens (Belmont) 1-6, 5-3 retired

Saturday's matches conclude Belmont's fall slate of tournaments as the Bruins will have the rest of the year off before turning their attention to their spring championship season. Belmont will begin its 2024 quest in late January.
 
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