NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 16, 2013 -- The James Madison men's tennis team earned its second win of the spring Saturday afternoon with a 5-2 victory at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Dukes are now 2-4 on the season and winners of two straight. The victory ended the Highlanders' win streak at six.
The Dukes claimed the doubles point before going 4-2 in singles play.
In doubles play, JMU and NJIT split the first two matches 1-1, leaving the third match a winner-take-all for the doubles point. Senior Ryan Pool (Melbourne, Australia/Braemar (Chattanooga)) and freshman Robert Stirling (Caboolture, Australia/St. Columbans College) took the doubles point for the Dukes after winning a 9-8(7) battle over Petr Rousar and Erik Artursson in the No. 1 position.
With the 1-0 advantage, Pool and Stirling rode their momentum into their singles matches. In the No. 1 position, Pool took down NJIT's Holger Norregaard 6-2, 6-4, and Stirling claimed a 7-6(6), 6-1 victory over Andres Alban in the No. 3 slot. Pool gained his 15th singles win of the year, and Stirling moved to .500 (9-9).
Senior Bastien Russo (Lyon, France/Notre Dame des Minimes (Shorter)) won his first singles match of the weekend, gutting out a three-set victory over Fraser Croad. Russo was off to a good start with a 6-2 win in set one, but Croad charged back for a 6-4 win in set two. With the singles point on the line, Russo came out on top 14-12 in set three to claim his first spring victory at the No. 6 position.
Rounding out the singles points for JMU was senior Florent Sentenac (Borderes, France/Lycee Theophile Gautier (Auburn Montgomery)). Sentenac defeated Rousar 7-5, 6-4 at the No. 4 position to improve his spring record to 2-2.
JMU travels to Fairfax, Va., on March 2 for a league match at George Mason. The first serve is at 1 p.m.
JMU 5, NJIT 2
Doubles
1. Pool/Stirling (JMU) def. Rousar/Artursson (NJIT) 9-8(7)
2. Norregaard/Schultz (NJIT) def. Vladimirsky/Hugo Ramadier (JMU) 8-5
3. Sentenac/Russo (JMU) def. Croad/Alban (NJIT) 8-5
Singles
1. Ryan Pool (JMU) def. Holger Norregaard (NJIT) 6-2, 6-4
2. Markus Schultz (NJIT) def. Greg Vladimirsky (JMU) 6-2, 7-6(2)
3. Robert Stirling (JMU) def. Andres Alban (NJIT) 7-6(6), 6-1
4. Florent Sentenac (JMU) def. Petr Rousar (NJIT) 7-5, 6-4
5. Erik Artursson (NJIT) def. Maxi Branth (JMU) 7-5, 6-2
6. Bastien Russo (JMU) def. Fraser Croad (NJIT) 6-2, 4-6, 14-12
