The Tiffin University Tennis team took a pit stop on their way to Hilton Head to take on West Liberty University. The Dragons took on a well respected 49th ranked team composed of a 24th ranked singles player in Baptiste Perrin. The highly ranked Hilltoppers also have the 12th ranked doubles team in Santiago Gutierrez and Andrew Ponder. TU fell to West Liberty 7-2.
The Dragons started off 1-2 in doubles with the lone win coming at 3rd doubles where Elio Lezama and Justin Kopronica were able to pick up a 8-2 victory.
At 1st doubles Ludena and Cutting lost a nailbiter that could have gone either way late in the set. Ludena and Cutting dropped a 8-6 decision to a 12th ranked doubles team in a match that showed the progress the two have made as a pairing when compared to their earlier matches this season.
2nd doubles saw the two veterans in Mangone and Fernandes drop a 8-0 decision as they just couldn't seem to get the ball rolling. The two look to improve upon an already strong chemistry and translate that into wins as they travel on to Hilton Head for spring break.
3rd doubles was one of two points the Dragons were able to secure on Sunday as Lezama and Kopronica were able to dominate in an 8-2 victory that got the doubles team back on track. The two have had a roller coaster of a season with big wins and losses, but the two have seemed to turn it around as of late which is what the Dragons need leading into their conference season.
Singles wasn't kind to the Dragons who saw just one victory of the 6 matches.
1st Singles - Luis Ludena dropped a heartbreaker to West Liberty's Perrin in a 6-7, 3-6 match that saw Ludena with opportunities to put the match away early. With a set point in their first set tie-breaker Ludena wasn't able to convert on his chances and dropped the first set and eventually fell later on.
2nd Singles - A story of the day was inconsistencies for the Dragons as the usually reliable Lezama dropped a 1-6, 0-6 decision against West Liberty's Gutierrez.
3rd Singles- Much like the match at 2nd singles Cutting lost a 1-6, 1-6 to West Liberty's Ponder.
4th Singles - The wily veteran Mangone dropped a close 2-6, 7-6 (5), 4-10 match that was decided in a tie breaker due to time constraints and the match being decided. Mangone fought hard after dropping the first set and went to his tried and true method of hard work tennis that was able to earn him a second set victory. Mangone eventually fell in a tough 10 point tie breaker.
5th Singles - The Captain Victor Fernandes ran out of gas in a 4-6, 2-6 loss to West Liberty's Tully. Fernandes fought hard losing the first set by a lone break, but couldn't recover and find what he had in the first set dropping a straight set decision.
6th Singles - The lone bright spot on the day for the Dragons' singles team as the freshman Kopronica earned his keep in a 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 decision. Kopronica lost the first set, but never lost his drive and came away with a big win to add to his already impressive young career. This is Kopronica's first trip to Hilton Head with the team and he looks to continue on his already building resume.
