Eutectics falter in singles and fall to Principia

The UHSP Men's Tennis team couldn't overcome a pair of open slots resulting in a pair of forfeits in a season opening loss to Principia on a 95-degree afternoon at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park.

The meet started with doubles and the Eutectics were open in third doubles. The top UHSP doubles tandem of Gavin Brown and Caden Hillman did their part with an 8-4 triumph over Principia's Juan Segovia and Ernesto Botero Diaz. In the second doubles match, Alvaro Montijano and James Bamberger held a 6-5 lead over the Panthers' Rafter Sprague and William Johnson. But the Principia pair took the next two games to lead 7-6. Montijano served a shutout game capped by an ace to draw things even at 7-7 and force a tiebreaker for the set. Principia opened on serve and it was a 4-3 UHSP lead on serve until the Purple & Gold duo broke Principia's group on back to back points for a 6-3 lead. Bamberger would serve for the Euts and his partner Montijano fought off two power shots at the net for a 7-3 tiebreak win. The Eutectics led 2-1 heading into singles, but knew they would have to forfeit also at the #6 singles spot with that being open.

The Euts would dominate at the top of the singles bracket. Alvaro Montijano would defeat Juan Segovia, 6-3, 7-6. Caden Hillman had a tough #2 singles match with Ernesto Botero Diaz. It was Botero Diaz taking the first 6-3 until Hillman leveled the match after taking the second set 6-4. Hillman would claim the win with a 10-7 performance in his favor in the tiebreaker. But UHSP's James Bamberger, who was near exhaustion after his doubles match, could not go the distance in his #4 singles match. Alvaro Martin Moliz led 5-0 in the first when Bamberger retired. Principia's Rafter Sprague and Kuda Sandi would both make short work of Gavin Brown and Othniel Marcellus in #3 and #5 singles respectively, Sprague winning 6-0, 6-2 and Sandi burying Marcellus, 6-1. 6-0. Principia would win three of the five played singles matches to take the match 5-4 and send the Eutectics to a tough season opening defeat. It is the fifth consecutive loss for the Eutectics against the Panthers. UHSP returns to action a week from Thursday at the ITA Regional Tournament at Holy Cross College in South Bend, IN.