March 30, 2013

Greenville, N.C. - The Coastal Carolina men's tennis team handed East Carolina its first home loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, winning 4-3 to snap the Pirates' eight-match home win streak, and extending the Chanticleers' winning streak to five. The Chanticleers, 10-5 (6-0), are on their longest win streak since they won eight consecutive matches in the 2012 season.

For the third match in a row Coastal claimed the doubles point, winning two of the three matches.

Garik Yedigarian and Matias Di Pasquale, paired together at No. 1, dropped the first match 8-1 to Joran Vliegen and Colin Roller of the Pirates. Coastal's No. 2 pair of Leo Christofides and John Karle continued to build upon their successful doubles play this season, taking down Damien Brenard and John Schmitt, 8-2. Yusuke Kusuda and Ted Nilsson sealed the opening point for the Chants at No. 3, handing an 8-3 loss to Patriek Wolterbeek and Nicolas Soriano.

Coastal and East Carolina would split the singles matches, with each side taking three of the possible six points.

Kusuda grabbed a point for Coastal at No. 2 singles, defeating Schmitt in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Ted Nilsson won Coastal's fourth point after besting Brenard 6-2, 6-3. Di Pasquale closed out the scoring, winning a tough, three-set battle over Mario Martinez, 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-1.

Vliegen, Soriano and Roller were the singles winners for East Carolina.

"East Carolina was 12-2 and unbeaten at home, so today's win was big for our program," said head coach Chris Powers. "We did a great job of taking the doubles point, and Matias really took control in his third set to clinch the match."

After playing back-to-back road matches, the Chants will have a well-deserved week off before hosting Winthrop in the team's final home match of the season on April 5. Friday's match will also be senior day, where Coastal's three seniors, Kusuda, Di Pasquale and Karle, will be recognized.