PADUCAH, Ky. - Austin Peay State University men's tennis team saw a good run in the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Tennis Tournament come to an end with a 4-0 loss to Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, at the Heflin Center.

Two weeks earlier a trip the conference tournament seemed like a fluttering thought as the Govs sat 0-4 with three league matches to play. Coming off a 4-3 loss to Morehead State, Austin Peay won three straight matches to earn its first men's tournament berth since the 2005 season. It all culminated with a tenacious win at Eastern Illinois to clinch a fifth-seed and a rematch with the Eagles.

Sophomore Renan Bezerra won the deciding match, Friday, after the Govs (8-6) dropped a close doubles point and needed four singles wins to stay alive. Freshman All-OVC pick Henrique Norbiato (at No. 3), along with freshmen Amar Subasic (No. 4) and John Store (No. 6) won the other three matches to knock off Morehead State and advance to the semifinals for a rematch with OVC regular-season champion Eastern Kentucky (17-8).

"I'm very happy with the way the guys played," head coach Malik Tabet said. "We finished on a good note - the kids are fired up about coming back next year. It's good to see a strong foundation with what we have as a team and now we have to keep building on it. Hopefully next year, we'll have another shot in the tournament."

Friday was  grueling day, with temperatures in the mid-80s, a hot sun glaring and an occasional short breeze knocked down by windscreens. The Govs fought fatigue and a rested Colonels team, only to drop the doubles point for the second straight day. This time, however, the Colonels held strong.

Bezerra was the first to fall for the Govs, losing (6-4, 6-0) to Phillip Janz at No. 4 singles. Subasic, who won the Govs only match in the earlier meeting with Eastern Kentucky then lost (6-2, 6-1) at No. 5 singles to Carlos Valdeneboro. At No. 3 singles, Norbiato forced a third set despite an ankle injury and senior Leonardo Locatelli played his last match strong at No. 2 - both matches were unfinished.

"I've got to give credit to EKU," Tabet said. "They played unbelievable in the first five games of each of the doubles matches. We fought back well in all three doubles, but we just couldn't finish. We had our chances throughout the match, but we didn't handle it well."

Eastern Kentucky won the deciding point when OVC Player of the Year Alex Das stole a second-set tiebreaker in a magnificent showdown at No. 1 singles. Das downed freshman Sean Bailey (6-3, 7-6) to advance the Colonels to the championship.

-AP-