IOWA CITY, IA –
Jan. 25, 2004
IOWA CITY, IA – The Iowa men’s tennis team opened dual meet competition with at 6-1 loss to Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon at the Recreation Building.
In doubles competition, freshmen Sebastian Delgado and Walter Valarezo recorded an 8-4 victory over Juan-Pablo Barriga and Erick Martinez in the No. 1 match. In the No. 3 match, freshmen Jonny Hoak and Alexis Lebron lost an 8-4 decision to Jack Komar and Stephen Guntly. The deciding point rested on the No. 2 match between sophomores Chaitu Malempati and Aaron Schaechterle and Aaron Forsberg and Willy Gali. After a fierce battle, Malempati and Schaechterle were edged 9-8 giving the Huskies the doubles point.
The Hawkeyes put up a fight in singles competition, taking three of six matches to three sets, but came up short as they were only able to claim one point. Iowa’s win came in the No. 4 match where Valarezo recorded his first collegiate dual victory with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win over Forsberg. In the No. 5 match Schaechterle rallied from a 7-5 first-set loss to take the second set, 6-3, over Komar. His effort came up short in the third set as he was edged 7-5. Delgado lost a 6-4 first-set decision in the No. 2 match to Martinez. He then rallied in the second set with a 7-6 tiebreaker victory, but came up short in the final set as he was also edged 7-5. In his first match at the No.1 position, Malempati lost a hard-fought battle to Gali, 7-6, 7-5. In the No. 3 match, Hoak fell to Barriga in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5. In the No. 6 match, freshman Scott Elwell was downed by Guntly, 6-2, 7-6.
“We entered our singles lineup with four freshmen and two sophomores so we are going to go through some growing pains,” said Iowa Head Coach Steve Houghton. “We will just have to focus and prepare for a very good Minnesota team next week.”
Iowa (0-1, 0-0) will host 15th-ranked Gophers next Sunday. Competition is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Recreation Building.
RESULTS
Northern Illinois 6
#73 Iowa 1
Singles
No. 1 Willy Gali (NIU) def. Chaitu Malempati (I), 7-6(6), 7-5
No. 2 Erick Martinez (NIU) def. Sebastian Delgado (I), 6-4, 6-7, 7-5
No. 3 Juan-Pablo Barriga (NIU) def. Jonny Hoak (I), 6-4, 7-5
No. 4 Walter Valarezo (I) def. Aaron Forsberg (NIU), 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
No. 5 Jack Komar (NIU) def. Aaron Schaechterle (I), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
No. 6 Stephen Guntly (NIU) def. Scott Elwell (I), 6-2, 7-6(4)
Doubles
No. 1 Delgado/Valarezo (I) def. Barriga/Martinez (NIU), 8-4
No. 2 Forsberg/Gali (NIU) def. Malempati/Schaechterle (I), 9-8
No. 3 Guntly/Komar (NIU) def. Hoak/Alexis Lebron (I), 8-4