Photo by Devin P. Grimes / MTSU Sidelines
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders took the outdoor courts at the Adams Tennis Complex on Friday to face the No.22 Tulane Green Wave of the American Athletic Conference. Though they got off to a good start, the Blue Raiders simply couldn’t maintain the momentum and fell by a final score of 5-2.
The day started on a positive note for MTSU, as they opened the match by taking the doubles point. The team of Gonzalo Morell Raschiatore and Miguel Negre Fernandez were the most dominant team on the court, as they defeated their opponents by a 6-1 tally. Chris Edge and Tom Moonen followed closely behind, beating their Tulane counterparts 6-2.
The team of Edge and Moonen often stand out in matches as one of the best teams on the court. That notion is even more impressive when you factor in that their pairing was made due to other injuries.
“It wasn’t even a team we were going to play at the beginning of the year,” said Head Coach Jimmy Borendame. “They’re both good doubles players. What’s impressed me is that if you talk to (Moonen), he’s a very mature guy. He is not the average 19-year-old guy, and (Edge) is not an average 18-year-old.”
Max Rauch and Nicolas Buitrago got off to a slow start, but managed to fight back to a 4-3 score before their match went unfinished.
Singles play was another story entirely, as the Green Wave dominated by winning five of the six matches. Fernandez was the only Blue Raider that recorded an individual win, as he defeated his opponent by a final score of 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. Luis Morillo Diaz was the only Middle Tennessee player that didn’t lose in straight sets, as he wound up losing in three.
Though this wasn’t the result they wanted, the Blue Raiders will now head to Florida for some better weather and more competition. While they certainly have different aspects to work on in practice, Borendame is confident that the time the team will spend together during the break will bring them closer and make them better on the court.
“We’re leaving as a team, and we’re taking everybody to spring break,” Borendame said. “It’s a great experience … we’re basically going to spend a week in sunny Florida, just getting training in and spending time together … North Florida is a good team, so this will be another good test outside.”
What’s next?
The Blue Raiders will hit the road and head to Jacksonville, Florida where North Florida awaits them on March 8 at 4 p.m.
To contact Sports Editor Rusty Ellis, email [email protected].
For more sports stories, follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter and Periscope at @Sidelines_Sport.
