KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Henrique Rocha (Jaticua, Brazil/Escola SEB Maceio) claimed victories at second doubles and fifth singles but Bloomsburg had just enough to slip past the Kutztown University men's tennis team, 4-3, in a crucial PSAC match on Tuesday afternoon at the Keystone Courts.
Rocha and
Dang Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) teamed up to beat Fernando Barros and Jaime Soria, 6-3, at second doubles, though it came after Bloomsburg (6-5, 3-0 PSAC) had secured the point with a 6-1 win at No. 3 and a 6-2 victory at No. 1.
The Huskies increased their lead to 2-0 early in singles with a 6-1, 6-1 win from No. 3 Vishesh Patel over
Joaquin Perez (Pachuca, Mexico/Escuela Americana) before Kutztown (4-7, 1-2 PSAC) got on the board with a straight set win from
Emmitt Robinson (Ingersoll, Ontario/Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute) at No. 4. Robinson, a sophomore, downed Barros 6-1, 6-2.
Wins from No. 2 Albert Martin over Nguyen (6-1, 6-3) and No. 1 Denis Dementev over an ailing but valiant
Gonzalo Barcelo (San Pedro, Argentina/Nuestra Senora del Socorro) (6-4, 6-4) were enough to clinch the victory for Bloomsburg.
Kutztown trimmed the final deficit to one after
Neal Devkaran (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic) won for the seventh time in eight singles matches this season, 6-3, 6-3, against Soria at No. 6 and Rocha defeated Iu Casamitjana 6-4, 7-6 (3) at No. 5.
The Golden Bears are back at home for a pair of matches against two of the PSAC's best this weekend. Edinboro pays a visit to the Keystone Courts on Friday before KU hosts Mercyhurst on Senior Day, Saturday, at 11 a.m.
Â
