Spring Break
Men's tennis shows, places and wins with depth
Derek Simons
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: Sports
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"What happened with that match is that we didn't really get a fair shake," Head Coach Kendell Hale said. "Serge [Ristivojevic, sophomore], our number three singles player and also our number three doubles player, is in the hospital still with pneumonia, so we put in a freshman [Nick Hays] into the lineup."
Hays teamed up with freshman Gustavo Guerin at the number two doubles spot.
Guerin normally plays number three doubles with Ristivojevic and also covers the fourth singles spot.
He had to move up to the three singles spot for the weekend.
Guerin ended up fighting out the closest match of the day before losing to Nebraska's Hendrik Stahmer 6-4, 7-6 (1).
On Sunday, UMKC bounced back with a 5-2 victory over Bradley University at the Nebraska tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb.
"He [Guerin] did step up as well," Hale said. "In the Bradley match he ended up winning his singles and Nick [Hays] and him won their number two doubles, which helped seal the Bradley point in doubles. … We just have that depth that we're able to do something like that."
But Hale said he was disappointed when Serge went in the hospital.
"This was our opportunity maybe to pull out our own ranking if we did really well [against Nebraska]," he said. "Playing great teams is pretty much the only way we can get ranked. Of course, we went 9-8 at number one doubles, and ended up losing that one. So, close matches all the way down the board - it shows you we're right there. We're taking it one step at a time but it would have been fun to get them with our full squad."
The Roos now have more than a week of rest and the coach hopes Ristivojevic can recover quickly.
"He's such a vital part of our team," Hale said. "But it soothes my mind to know that we can compete even if he's not there. That's good for the team as well."
UMKC men's tennis is now 6-2 for the season.
The team next plays two away matches in North Carolina. March 17 the Roos will face South Carolina-Upstate and March 18 meet Troy State. Summit League play starts March 27.
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