KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 16 Vanderbilt’s rally came up just short at ninth-ranked Tennessee Sunday afternoon, as the Commodores fell, 4-2, at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.
Vanderbilt (13-6, 4-3) finished up the weekend 0-2, with both loses coming to top-10 teams, while Tennessee (17-6, 4-3) recorded two wins over the weekend.
Tennessee took a 1-0 advantage into singles competition after winning the doubles point to begin the match. The 17th-ranked doubles team of Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese downed Ryan Lipman and Marc van der Merwe, 8-3, in the No. 1 position. At the No. 3 spot, Edward Jones and Taylor Patrick defeated Rhys Johnson and Jeff Offerdahl, 8-4.
Libietis then faced off with Lipman in No. 1 singles, a battle of top 20 players. It would be Libietis who would come out with a win in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The loss for Lipman is just his third in dual play (15-3). All three have come to ranked players, as he is now 6-3 versus ranked foes.
Offerdahl and Kris Yee quickly erased a 2-0 deficit by recording wins in the No. 3 and 5 positions. Offerdahl knocked off Brandon Fickey in the first of four three-set matches on the day. The Austin, Texas, native won, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.
Yee upped his winning streak to 16 consecutive matches after defeating Jones, 6-1, 6-4. The freshman is 17-1 in dual play this season and has yet to lose in SEC action (6-0).
However, it would be the Volunteers who would record the final points of the match. Jarryd Chaplin defeated van der Merwe at No. 4 singles, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, while Patrick defeated Johnson, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0, to clinch the match in the No. 6 spot.
The Commodores welcome Auburn next Friday at 2 p.m. and Alabama next Sunday at 12 p.m. to the Currey Tennis Center.
Singles Results
1. No. 6 Mikelis Libietis (UT) def. No. 19 Ryan Lipman (VU) 6-3, 6-2
2. No. 29 Hunter Reese (UT) vs. No. 54 Gonzales Austin (VU) 3-6, 6-2, 4-5, unfinished
3. Jeff Offerdahl (VU) def. No. 115 Brandon Fickey (UT) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
4. Jarryd Chaplin (UT) def. Marc van der Merwe (VU) 4-6, 6-0, 7-5
5. Kris Yee (VU) def. Edward Jones (UT) 6-1, 6-4
6.Taylor Patrick (UT) def. Rhys Johnson (VU) 7-6, 4-6, 6-0
Doubles Results
1. No. 17 Libietis/Reese (UT) def. Lipman/van der Merwe (VU) 8-3
2. Chaplin/Fickey (UT) vs. Austin/Eswaran (VU) 7-5, unfinished
3. Jones/Patrick (UT) def. Johnson/Offerdahl (VU) 8-4
Order of Finish
Singles: 1,5,3,4,6
Doubles: 1,3
