App State hands UNCG first SoCon loss of season, 6-1

Jacob Wright

BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State snapped UNCG's seven-match winning streak and handed the Spartans their first Southern Conference loss of the season Friday, picking up a 6-1 win that was much closer than the final score indicated.

The Mountaineers (8-4, 2-1 SoCon) won three of the singles matches in three sets and had another go to tiebreakers in both sets. Even the doubles point could have gone either way, as two of the matches finished with 9-7 scores.

UNCG (11-4, 4-1 SoCon) picked up its lone win on the afternoon at No. 6 singles, where Jacob Wright's bout against Matt Saltsgaver was headed to a third set before Saltsgaver retired. Wright dropped the first set 6-0 but claimed the second, 7-5.

At No. 1, Alex Markov picked up a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win over UNCG's Orcun Seyrek. Philip Kloc picked up a three-set win at No. 3 over Yaroslav Litus winning the first set 7-5 before Litus won the second 7-6 (7-3). Kloc came back with a 6-1 win in the third set to grab the win.

The Apps won another three-setter at No. 4, with Sebastien King rebounding from a first-set loss to take a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Ahmet Sarioglu.

Alain Humblet topped Timion Meijs in straight sets at No. 2, but the match was not without drama. Both sets finished with 7-6 scores, with Humblet grabbing the tiebreaker in the first, 7-4, before eking out the second, 8-6.

Andrew McKinnon took a 6-2, 6-2 win over Chanon Varapongsittikul at No. 5.

The tone for the day was set in doubles play, as McKinnon and Ezekiel Sansing grabbed an 8-5 win over Sarioglu and Varapongsittikul at No. 3. The Mountaineers secured the doubles point with a 9-7 win by Humblet and Kloc over Seyrek and Meijs at No. 1. Litus and Wright took a 9-7 win over Markov and King at No. 2.

UNCG will have little time to recover as it hosts Furman at the UNCG Tennis Courts on Sunday at 1 p.m.

AGATE
Appalachian State 6, UNCG 1

Singles competition
1. Alex Markov (ASU) def. Orcun Seyrek (UNCG) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
2. Alain Humblet (ASU) def. Timion Meijs (UNCG) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6)
3. Philip Kloc (ASU) def. Yaroslav Litus (UNCG) 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1
4. Sebastien King (ASU) def. Ahmet Sarioglu (UNCG) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Andrew McKinnon (ASU) def. Ch. Varapongsittikul (UNCG) 6-2, 6-2
6. Jacob Wright (UNCG) def. Matt Saltsgaver (ASU) 0-6, 7-5, retired

Doubles competition
1. Alain Humblet/Philip Kloc (ASU) def. Orcun Seyrek/Timion Meijs (UNCG) 9-7
2. Yaroslav Litus/Jacob Wright (UNCG) def. Alex Markov/Sebastien King (ASU) 9-7
3. Andrew McKinnon/Ezekiel Sansing (ASU) def. Ahmet Sarioglu/Ch. Varapongsittikul (UNCG) 8-5

Match Notes:
UNCG 11-4, 4-1 SoCon
Appalachian State 8-4, 2-1 SoCon
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,2,3,4,1,6)

- UNCG -