April 10, 2011

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Coastal Carolina men's tennis team snapped a three-matching losing streak with a thrilling 4-3 win over Liberty Sunday afternoon from the Hershey-Esbenshade Tennis Courts.

Coastal Carolina jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point after claiming two of three matches. Seniors Matt Gordon and Peter Billingham gave the Chanticleers the early edge by defeating Siim Tuus and Benjamin Wirth 8-5 at the No. 1 position.

Liberty answered by winning the following match when Giancarlo Lemmi and Shea Thomas bested Alex Funkhouser and Dorian Sovic 8-5 at No. 2. The Chants, however, earned the point after sophomore Yusuke Kusuda and junior Danny Heidecker downed Tristan Stayt and Mandeep Yadev 9-8 at No. 3

Kusuda put Coastal Carolina up 2-0 when he defeated Thomas 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 2 singles position. Tuus cut the Chanticleer lead in half when he won 7-5, 6-1 over Gordon at No. 1 before Yadev tied the score 2-2 following his 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Sovic at No. 5.

Lemmi put Liberty ahead 3-2 after defeating Heidecker 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at No. 4, but Funkhouser answered for Coastal with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Stayt at No. 3 to even the score at 3-3.

Billingham clinched the win for the Chants following his 6-4, 6-7, 6-0 win over Wirth at No. 6.

"I think this win is what our program needed to kickstart us into the right gear for the rest of the season," Coastal Carolina head coach Chris Powers said. "We still have two big conference matches left, and it is really important that we build from this battle today."

Coastal Carolina returns to action Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Chants travel to Clinton, S.C., to take on Presbyterian.

AGATE
Doubles
Peter Billingham & Matt Gordon (Coastal Carolina) def. Siim Tuus & Benjamin Wirth (Liberty) 8-5
Giancarlo Lemmi & Shea Thomas (Liberty) def. Alex Funkhouser & Dorian Sovic (Coastal Carolina) 8-5
Yusuke Kusuda & Danny Heidecker (Coastal Carolina) def. Tristan Stayt & Mandeep Yadev (Liberty) 9-8

Singles
Siim Tuus (Liberty) def. Matt Gordon (Coastal Carolina) 7-5, 6-1
Yusuke Kusuda (Coastal Carolina) def. Shea Thomas (Liberty) 6-2, 6-1
Alex Funkhouser (Coastal Carolina) def. Tristan Stayt (Liberty) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Giancarlo Lemmi (Liberty) def. Danny Heidecker (Coastal Carolina) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Mandeep Yadev (Liberty) def. Dorian Sovic (Coastal Carolina) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
Peter Billingham (Coastal Carolina) def. Benjamin Wirth (Liberty) 6-4, 6-7, 6-0