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CAA Tournament First Round

#7 Delaware 4, #10 George Mason, 4-3
April 17, 2003

Ditman, Liebman, and Lewis Post Singles Victories as Hens Advance to Quarterfinals

 

RICHMOND, VA -- The University of Delaware men's tennis team advanced to Friday's Colonial Athletic Association Tournament quarterfinals with a first round 4-3 win over George Mason Thursday at Virginia Commonwealth University's Thalhimer Tennis Center.

The Blue Hens, the tournament No. 7 seed, downed the No. 10 seed Patriots thanks to three singles victories and two wins in doubles play. Delaware (11-13) advances to take on No. 2 seed William & Mary in the quarterfinals Friday at 11:30 a.m.

In the other quarterfinal matches in the single elimination tournament Friday, No. 3 Old Dominion will take on No. 6 Hofstra at 9 a.m., top seed VCU will take on Towson or Drexel at 2 p.m., and No. 4 James Madison will take on No. 5 UNC Wilmington at 4:30 p.m.

The semifinals will be played Saturday with the championship set for Sunday. The team champion will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Delaware, which defeated the Patriots 4-3 in a regular season match March 22, pulled out the victory again thanks to outstanding play from its three lower singles players. No. 4 player Dustin Lewis posted a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 win over Cem Akalin, Adam Liebman captured a 6-0, 6-0 victory from Jorge Ramallo at the No. 5 spot, and Josh Ditman improved to 14-6 this season with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Miles Hughes at the No. 6 spot.

In the first three singles matches, George Mason's Augusto Ballester upended John Tully 6-4, 6-1; Tim Bainton edged def. Sanjay Khindri, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2; and Stephan Dufils swept Robert Wirth by a 6-3, 6-4 score.

In doubles, Delaware No. 1 team of Tully and Wirth defeated Ballester and Dufils 8-5 at the No. 1 spot and Ari Zweig and Patrick Seitz posted an 8-0 win over Ramallo and Hughes.

The Delaware women (8-9) earned a No. 6 seed and will open CAA Tournament quarterfinal play Friday at 9 a.m. vs. No. 3 seed Old Dominion at Byrd Park in Richmond.

AGATE:

Delaware def. George Mason, 4-3

Singles: Augusto Ballester (GMU) def. John Tully (UD), 6-4, 6-1; Tim Bainton (GMU) def. Sanjay Khindri (UD), 1-6, 7-5, 6-2; Stephan Dufils (GMU) def. Robert Wirth (UD), 6-3, 6-4; Dustin Lewis (UD) vs. Cem Akalin (GMU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-2; Adam Liebman (UD) vs. Jorge Ramallo (GMU), 6-0, 6-0; Josh Ditman (UD) vs. Miles Hughes (GMU), 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles: Tully/Wirth (UD) def. Ballester/Dufils (GMU), 8-5; Bainton/Akalin (GMU) def. Khindri/Ditman (UD), 8-6; Ari Zweig/Patrick Seitz (UD) vs. Ramallo/Hughes (GMU), 8-0.

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