Middle Tennessee lost to North Carolina State 4-2 in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship, according to a May 1 announcement. The defeat ended Middle Tennessee’s postseason run and concluded its season.
The match marked Middle Tennessee’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament after winning the Conference USA championship. Despite their efforts, they were unable to advance past the first round against a higher-ranked opponent.
In doubles play, senior and freshman pairs for Middle Tennessee remained undefeated at 8-0 by defeating William Manning and Jules Leroux of NC State, 7-5. Another doubles victory came as Jacques and his partner overcame Sabaliauskas and Camus in a close tiebreaker. However, singles matches saw setbacks: one player fell to Camus on court five with scores of 6-4, 6-2, while another senior lost to Darius Pop by a margin of 6-4, 6-3. These results gave NC State an early lead.
A three-set win on court three brought Middle Tennessee level at two points each before NC State secured victories in subsequent singles matches. Martin Borisiouk defeated Horak with set scores of 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Jules Leroux overcame Al-Amin after dropping the first set but winning the next two sets decisively.
Head coach Jimmy Borendame said: “This group has been extremely special. For two returners in Horak and Al-Amin to rally and lead eight new guys and create this amazing culture is incredible. Together, we reloaded and made an amazing environment that pushed each other and we had fun doing it. I love this group of men and I’m proud of them.”
