NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb University men's tennis team opened the spring portion of the 2024-25 schedule with a 7-0 shutout of No. 19 Cumberland University, Friday evening inside the Ensworth Tennis Center. 

The Phoenix are currently ranked 19th in the preseason NAIA poll administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Final Score: Lipscomb 7, Cumberland 0
Location: Nashville, Tenn. (Ensworth Tennis Center)
Records: Lipscomb (1-0), Cumberland (0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Lipscomb secured the doubles point quickly with routs at the two and three lines. Facundo Perlov/Juan Lombisano secured the 6-1 finish thanks to winning the last four games at the No. 2 flight. 

Antoine Testaud/Oskar Szymczak defeated Elisey Kalashnikov/Paul Daniel Meyer, 6-2, to help Lipscomb get out to the early 1-0 lead. 

Singles play got started out well for the Bisons, as Lombisano took care of Gabriel Godoy at the No. 4 flight, 6-2, 6-0, to put Lipscomb ahead 2-0.

After Testaud made it 4-0 with his win at No. 6, Perlov squashed a late rally by Meyer in the second set to clinch the match, 6-4, 7-5. 

Oliver Thoeny made it a clean sweep with his 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 win at the No. 5. 

Despite the team win for the Bisons, the story came at the top two flights, Oskar Szymczak and Giovanni Ciocca, both freshmen. In their spring debut, they each picked up victories.

Ciocca overcame a 2-6 loss in the opening set and defeated Daniel Wessels, 6-2, 6-2. 

Szymczak had to rally from a second set tiebreak loss to defeat Vitor Ferreira,  6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-2. 

UP NEXT
Lipscomb will make the trek to Murfreesboro on Saturday afternoon to take on Middle Tennessee State for a 1 p.m. first serve.