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5/20/2009 - MEN'S TENNIS
Olivares Advances to Round of 32 at NCAA Play
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas - It wasn't easy, but No. 18-ranked ETSU men's tennis senior Enrique Olivares simply survived and advanced past No. 102 Martin Sayer of Radford during first-round play of the 2009 NCAA Singles Championship at the George Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.
After both Olivares and Sayer held serve for the majority of the first set, the ETSU senior captain rallied past the four-time Big South Player of the Year breaking Sayer's server after a number of long deuce points to take a 6-5 lead. After Sayer rebounded with three straight points in the 12th game, Olivares would settle down forcing the Radford senior to play out the set's third straight deuce point game. After four straight split points to send the game back to deuce, Olivares blasted back-to-back shots across court for the set at 7-5.
As set two opened Sayer jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, before the two-time Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year rebounded by taking the next five out of six games for a 5-3 advantage. Sayer held serve to make it 5-4, before Olivares had his first chance to serve out the second set and the match.
After quickly jumping out to a 30-15 lead, Sayer landed his last point of the match placing a perfectly placed drop shot to make it 30-30. After Sayer returned Olivares' serve to the back of the baseline, the ETSU senior ripped a strong forehand down the line to take his first match point at 40-30. Olivares then blasted home a strong serve, which Sayer hit wide out of bounds giving Olivares the match and his second straight appearance in the NCAA Singles Round of 32.
Overall, Olivares joins Zaatini as the only two ETSU men's tennis players to win NCAA Singles Championship rounds in consecutive seasons. Olivares will now face the winner of Ohio State's Steven Moneke and Stanford's Bradley Klahn Thursday. The time of that match will be released by the NCAA at the conclusion of the first round late Wednesday night.