Match Results

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team opened up MEAC play with a solid 6-1 victory over North Carolina Central Sunday afternoon at the Centre Court Racquet Club.

NSU won two of three doubles matches as well as the No. 2-6 singles bouts to run its record to 4-6 overall, 1-0 in conference play. The Eagles dropped to 2-3, 0-1. Rain forced the match to be moved from its original location of the NSU Tennis Courts to Centre Court.

Senior Arsenio Culver earned wins in both singles and doubles play, teaming with fellow senior Ben Marks for an 8-1 win over Jack Waissen and Fabrice George at No. 1 doubles. Culver also picked up the easy victory at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-0, against Jose Fabara.

Senior Christian Romanzini and freshman Kent Austin gave NSU the doubles point with an 8-4 win against Jamal Hoyte and Tamina Kienka at the third spot. Fabara and Alejandro Espitia prevented the Spartan sweep in doubles after grabbing an 8-4 win over NSU freshman Igor Braga and Daniel Grauel at the No. 2 doubles position.

Braga and Grauel turned it around in singles play, as both picked up wins in straight sets. Braga downed Espitia, 6-2, 6-3, at the No. 3 position, while Grauel earned a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Kienka at the fifth slot. Senior Roosevelt Cooper also won in singles play at the No. 6 position, falling in the first set, 7-5, to Hoyte, before rallying in the second set, 6-3, and taking the third-set tiebreaker, 10-8, for the match win.

Along with Culver, Romanzini also won in both singles and doubles, as he needed three sets for the win at the fourth singles slot. After opening with a 6-2 win in the first set over George, Romanzini fell in the second set, 6-1, before a solid win in the third, 6-2.

Waissen gave the Eagles their only point on the afternoon with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Marks at the top singles position.

NSU will face another conference opponent, Florida A&M, Monday at 2 p.m. at the Centre Court Racquet Club.