Final Stats

The Coastal Carolina men's tennis team, facing its second nationally ranked opponent in as many matches, picked up its first win of the season with a 4-3 upset of #73 East Carolina Monday afternoon.

The win evens the Chanticleers' record at 1-1, while the Pirates begin their season 0-2 after previously falling to #6 North Carolina.

"Our team pulled out a gutsy win today," said Chanticleer head coach Chris Powers. "I am so proud of the all-around effort given today. We went down early but kept battling back at a very difficult place to play."

ECU pulled in front early, taking the doubles point with wins on the first and second courts. Philippe Tsangarides and Kaue Pereira fell 6-3 to Colin Roller and Tendai Tapfuma at No. 1, while Vuk Velickovic and Rick Timmerman fell by the same score to Ross Nigro and Fredic Lehfeldt at No. 2.

The final doubles match between Renan Samed and Garik Yedigarian, and Kasey Countee and Nicolas Soriano at No. 3 went unfinished with the Coastal duo leading 5-4.

The Chants then stormed back in singles, taking four of the six remaining points to seal the match.

Pereira downed Damien Brenard in a hard-fought match at No. 2, winning back-to-back tiebreakers 7-6 (3), 7-5. Yedigarian, playing at No. 3, also won in straight sets, besting Tapfuma 6-2, 6-3, while Velickovic won his first singles match as a Chant by a 6-0, 7-5 score over Lehfeldt at No. 4.

#119 Samed won Coastal's final singles point on the fifth court, defeating Nigro in three sets, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

ECU claimed points on the first and sixth courts as Soriano edged Tsangarides in a three-set tiebreaker, and Countee topped Timmerman in straight sets.

The Chants remain on the road for their next match, traveling to Charleston to take on The Citadel at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Coastal makes its first appearance on its new courts on Jan. 31 against USC Upstate.

Coastal Carolina def. East Carolina (4-3)
Singles
1. Nicolas Soriano (ECU) def. Philippe Tsangarides (Coastal) 6-1, 1-6, 7-5
2. Kaue Pereira (Coastal) def. Damien Brenard (ECU) 7-6 (3), 7-5
3. Garik Yedigarian (Coastal) def. Tendai Tapfuma (ECU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Vuk Velickovic (Coastal) def. Fredric Lehfeldt (ECU) 6-0, 7-5
5. #119 Renan Samed (Coastal) def. Ross Nigro (ECU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
6. Kasey Countee (ECU) def. Rick Timmerman (Coastal) 7-6 (6), 6-3

Doubles
1. Roller/Tapfuma (ECU) def. Tsangarides/Pereira (Coastal) 6-3
2. Nigro/Lehfeldt (ECU) def. Velickovic/Timmerman (Coastal) 6-3
3. Countee/Soriano (ECU) vs. Samed/Yedigarian (Coastal) 4-5 (unfinished)