NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the first of two home matches to open the 2010 spring season on Saturday, Vanderbilt’s men’s tennis team cruised to a 7-0 win over Belmont.
Played indoors at the Currey Tennis Center, the match was the first of the season for the Commodores (1-0) and Bruins (0-1). Vanderbilt swept all three doubles matches and all six singles matches, and didn’t lose a set en route to its season-opening victory. It was the first 7-0 victory by the Commodores since Feb. 13, 2009 against Memphis.
Vanderbilt won all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Earning the first victory of the match for Vanderbilt was the duo of freshman Ryan Lipman and sophomore Charlie Jones, who earned an 8-3 victory over Rafael Matos and Renato Antun in the No. 2 position.
Clinching the doubles point was VU’s 57th-ranked tandem of junior Bryant Salcedo and senior Vijay Paul, who defeated Belmont’s Felipe Cirne Lima and Bruno Silva, 8-2, in the No. 3 position. Vanderbilt’s No. 1 team of Adam Baker and Alex Zotov clinched the doubles sweep for Vanderbilt with an 8-4 win over Belmont’s Joao Paoliello and Rodrigo Amaral.
The Commodores were able to take a 2-0 lead in the match when Bryant Salcedo opened singles by making quick work of Belmont’s Renato Antun, 6-1, 6-3, in the No. 3 position.
Adam Baker gave Vanderbilt a 3-0 lead in the match when he knocked off Belmont’s Rafael Matos, 6-1, 6-2, in the No. 4 position. Clinching the match for Vanderbilt was Alex Zotov, who topped Belmont’s Bruno Silva, 6-3, 6-4, in the No. 5 slot.
Making his debut in the No. 1 position, Ryan Lipman battled back from a 2-3 deficit in the first set to earn a 6-4, 6-2 win over Joao Paoliello. Lipman’s victory gave Vanderbilt a 5-0 lead.
Vijay Paul extended VU’s lead to six, 6-0, when he topped Rodrigo Amaral, 6-3, 6-4. Putting the wraps on a 7-0 victory was sophomore Alex DiValerio, who defeated Felipe Cirne Lima, 6-1, 6-3.
The Commodores will conclude their doubleheader at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when they host Chattanooga.
