KANSAS CITY – In the regular season, the IUPUI men’s tennis team’s lone Summit League loss came to IPFW in its conference finale, but the Jaguars avenged that loss Friday evening in the Summit League semifinals with a 4-1 win over the Mastodons at Woodside Country Club.
 
“We came out with probably the best energy in doubles we have had all year and collectively everybody was focused,” said head coach Brandon Currie. “That momentum carried over into singles and I think it caught them off guard and shocked them a little bit. In singles, Luke [Bielawski] came out and set the tone and Deon [Shafer] and Louis [Sacks] followed that lead.”
 
The Jags jumped out to an early one-point lead sweeping the doubles point thanks to wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles positions. #Patrick O’Neill and Luke Bielawski# opened doubles action by doubling up their opponent, 8-4, at the top spot, which was followed by an 8-3 victory from #Joel Modesitt and Nick Volz# at the second position.
 
The Jags lead moved to 2-0 when Bielawski claimed a 6-1, 6-1 win at the No. 3 singles spot, but the Mastodons fought back when Roberto Cabrini defeated Ivan Mojsejev in straight sets at the No. 1 singles spot, closing the IUPUI lead to 2-1.
 
However, #Deon Shafer and Louis Sacks# came through with straight-set victories at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively, to close out the 4-1 win and move the Jags into the championship match.
 
The win advanced IUPUI to the championship match against UMKC, which takes place at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 28. Saturday’s match will be a rematch of last year’s Summit League Championship in which the Kangaroos defeated the Jaguars, 4-2.
 
“Going into tomorrow, we feel confident. IPFW gave us a good match and our guys know what’s at stake tomorrow,” Currie added. “Both teams have changed since the first meeting that it’s almost like playing a new team because both teams have new lineups.”
 
Tennis Match Results
IUPUI vs IPFW
Apr 27, 2012 at Kansas City, Mo.
(Woodside Country Club)
 
IUPUI 4, IPFW 1
 
Singles competition
1. Roberto Cabrini (IPFW) def. MOJSEJEV, Ivan (IUPUI) 6-1, 6-3
2. Daniel Kang (IPFW) vs. EMERSON, Chase (IUPUI) 7-6 (7-1), 5-4, unfinished
3. BIELAWSKI, Luke (IUPUI) def. Andres Cobos (IPFW) 6-1, 6-1
4. Connor Andrews (IPFW) vs. MODESITT, Joel (IUPUI) 7-6 (7-5), 5-5, unfinished
5. SHAFER, Deon (IUPUI) def. Joao Freitas (IPFW) 6-4, 6-2
6. SACKS, Louis (IUPUI) def. Martin Muadi (IPFW) 6-2, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. O'NEILL, Patrick/BIELAWSKI, Luke (IUPUI) def. Roberto Cabrini/Connor Andrews (IPFW) 8-4
2. MODESITT, Joel/VOLZ, Nick (IUPUI) def. Daniel Kang/Joao Freitas (IPFW) 8-3
3. Junya Saruta/Andres Cobos (IPFW) vs. MOJSEJEV, Ivan/SHAFER, Deon (IUPUI) 3-7, unfinished
Match Notes:
IUPUI 10-15
IPFW 13-10
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,1,5,6)
Summit League Tournament Men's semifinal.
IUPUI advances to play UMKC at 2 p.m. Saturday for the Summit League title
T-2:41 A-25