April 4, 2011
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Playing in its final home match of the season, the UCF men's tennis team blanked Bethune-Cookman, 7-0, Monday afternoon at the UCF Tennis Complex. On a warm spring day in Orlando, the Knights won all three doubles contests to take the first point of the match, then swept singles action.
UCF improved to 9-11 with the win. The contest served as the final home match for senior Blaze Schwartz (Pensacola, Fla.). Against the Wildcats (6-9), Schwartz picked up his ninth win of the dual-match campaign. He topped Santiago Lobelo, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 3.
At the No. 1 doubles spot, Schwartz joined junior Joe Delinks (Falmouth, Mass.) for an 8-1 triumph over Jeffrey Smallwood and Marc Misanovic. Junior Eugene Dolgovykh (Palm Coast, Fla.) joined freshman Matthew Zachary (Bossier City, La.) for a victory at No. 2 doubles, and at the No. 3 spot, junior Claudio Romano (Valencia, Venezuela) and freshman Leonel Vivas (Caracas, Venezuela) rolled to an easy win.
"Today was our last home match of the year and it was great to get a win for Blaze Schwartz," UCF head coach Bobby Cashman said. "Blaze has been a tremendous part of our program for the last four years and has helped the program develop to where it is today. It was a sad day to see Blaze play his last home match as a Knight, but we know we still have a lot of tennis and goals to achieve this season and he will be a big part of that."
Romano defeated Emil Vassilev at No. 2 singles (6-2, 6-2), and at No. 1, freshman Erik Brunskog (Linkoping, Sweden) held off Misanovic, 6-4, 4-6, (10-5). Sophomore Mario Samson (Miami, Fla.) was victorious at No. 4. He eased past Kip Jackson, 6-1, 6-0. At No. 5, freshman Matthew Gladstone (Surfside, Fla.) beat Vitor Belucci, 6-1, 6-2. Zachary won by default at No. 6.
The Knights have three regular-season matches remaining. At the end of the week, the team will head to Denver, Colorado, for a pair of contests. The slate out west begins Saturday against South Alabama.
UCF 7, Bethune-Cookman 0
Singles competition
1. Erik Brunskog (UCF) def. Marc Misanovic (BCU) 6-4, 4-6, 10-5
2. Claudio Romano (UCF) def. Emil Vassilev (BCU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Blaze Schwartz (UCF) def. Santiago Lobelo (BCU) 6-0, 6-3
4. Mario Samson (UCF) def. Kip Jackson (BCU) 6-1, 6-0
5. Matthew Gladstone (UCF) def. Vitor Belucci (BCU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Matthew Zachary (UCF) def. No player (BCU) - incomplete lineup
Doubles competition
1. Joe Delinks/Blaze Schwartz (UCF) def. Jeffrey Smallwood/Marc Misanovic (BCU) 8-1
2. Eugene Dolgovykh/Matthew Zachary (UCF) def. Santiago Lobelo/Kip Jackson (BCU) 8-2
3. Leonel Vivas/Claudio Romano (UCF) def. Vitor Belucci/Emil Vassilev (BCU) 8-0