February 3, 2007

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The Virginia Tech men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the 2007 dual-match season with a 5-2 defeat at No. 31 Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders improved to 4-1 with the win while the Hokies fell to 4-1 on the young season.

Tech, ranked No. 53 nationally, lost the doubles point by dropping two of the three contests, then could only muster two victories in the singles competition. The Hokies two wins were at No. 3 as 70^th-ranked Albert Larregola (Jr., Lleida, Spain) defeated Marc Rocofort, 6-4, 6-4, and Pedro Graber (Fr., Santiago, Chile) won at No. 6 with a 6-1, 3-0 ret., victory against Marc Boiron.

Arvid Puranen (Sr., Lulea, Sweden), ranked No. 67 nationally, fell in the No. 1 match, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, to 41^st-ranked Andreas Siljestrom. In other singles results, Nicolas Delgado (So., Madrid, Spain) lost his No. 2 contest, 6-1, 6-4 against Marco Born, Joann Re (Fr., Verdun, Quebec) dropped a tight 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, No. 4 match to Morgan Richard, and Brandon Corace (So., Naples, Florida) lost 7-5, 7-5, at No. 5 against Joao Pailello.

In doubles competition, Tech won the No. 2 match as Delgado/Graber defeated Richard/Siljestrom, 8-1. In the No. 1 contest, Corace/Puranen fell 8-6 to Born/Rocafort and at No. 3, Larregola/Re lost 8-5 versus Boiron/Pailiello.

The Hokies return to action on Sunday with a 1 p.m. match at No. 63 Vanderbilt.

No. 31 Middle Tennessee State 5, No. 53 Virginia Tech 2
Singles
1. #41 Andreas Siljestrom (MTSU) def. #67 Arvid Puranen (VT) 6-7, 6-3, 6-3
2. Marco Born (MTSU) def. #87 Nicolas Delgado (VT) 6-1, 6-4
3. #70 Albert Larregola (VT) def. Marc Rocofort (MTSU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Morgan Richard (MTSU) def. Joann Re (VT) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
5. Joao Pailiello (MTSU) def. Brandon Corace (VT) 7-5, 7-5
6. Pedro Graber (VT) def. Marc Boiron (MTSU) 6-1, 3-0 ret.

Doubles
1. Born/Rocafort (MTSU) def. Corace/Puranen (VT) 8-6
2. Delgado/Graber (VT) def. Richard/Siljestrom (MTSU) 8-1
3. Boiron/Pailiello (MTSU) def. Larregola/Re (VT) 8-5