FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- The Eastern Illinois men's and women's tennis dropped their matches at IPFW on Saturday by scores of 4-3 and 6-1, respectively, as the dual lasted late into the night at the Pine Ridge Racquet and Fitness Club in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The sweep to the Mastodons move the Panther men to 1-2, while the EIU women picked up their first loss of the ealy season to fall to 2-1.

The two regional foes battled until nearly 1 am Sunday morning as both Eastern squads got off to a rough start as each unit dropped the all-important doubles point before heading into singles play.
 
Not only did nearly all of the men's singles matchups go three sets, but they also went the full distance via numerous tiebreaking scenarios.

Sophomore Warren Race and newcomer Kevin Bauman led the Panther guys at the No. 2 and No.5 spot of the lineup, respectively, while Matyas Hilgert battled back from a first-set loss to earn the hard-fought win via a 6-0 final frame rout.

Sophomore Merritt Whitley was the lone individual winner for the EIU women, as she took a three-set No. 3 Singles victory.

The Panther men will next face Purdue on Feb. 12, while the EIU women will travel to instate rival Southern Illinois on Feb. 18.

Eastern Illinois at IPFW
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Pine Ridge Racquet & Fitness Club
Fort Wayne, Ind.

IPFW Men 4, EIU Men 3
Singles
1. Roberto Cabrini (IPFW) def. Michael Sperry (EIU) - 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-6)
2. Warren Race (EIU) def. Francisco Sigaud (IPFW) - 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)
3. Matyas Hilgert (EIU) def. Dean Guyer (IPFW) - 5-7, 6-3, 6-0
4. Daniel Kang (IPFW) def. Charlie Dryden (EIU) - 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-6)
5. Kevin Bauman (EIU) def. Junya Saruta (IPFW) - 6-1, 4-6, 10-4
6. Eduardo Sztrajtman (IPFW) def. Volodymyr Zverkovsky (EIU) - 6-2, 6-2

Doubles
1. Cabrini/Sigaud (IPFW) def. Hilgert/Jamie Firth (EIU) - 8-4
2. Sperry/Dryden (EIU) def. Saruta/Kang (IPFW) - 8-2
3. Derek Romer/Guyer(IPFW) def. Race/Bauman (EIU) - 9-8 (7-4)

IPFW Women 6, EIU Women 1
Singles
1. Amy Recht (IPFW) def. Janelle Prisner (EIU) - 6-4, 6-2
2. Ingrid Ballus (IPFW) def. Jennifer Kim (EIU) - 6-1, 6-2
3. Merritt Whitley (EIU) def. Raquel Vescovi (IPFW) - 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
4. Caterina Kiefer (IPFW) def. Shannon Brooks (EIU) - 6-0, 6-2
5. Yuka Kobayashi (IPFW) def. Amanda Dibbs (EIU) - 6-3, 6-4
6. Alex Forsyth (IPFW) def. Cara Huck (EIU) - 6-4, 4-6, 11-9 

Doubles 
1. Recht/Ballus (IPFW) def. Huck/Whitley (EIU) - 8-7
2. Forsyth/Kiefer (IPFW) def. Kim/Prisner (EIU) - 8-4
3. Kobayashi/Vescovi (IPFW) def. Dibbs/Kristen Laird (EIU) - 8-4

Exhibition Singles
Frederique Sunstrum (IPFW) def. Annie Egan (EIU) - 8-4 

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID