CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University men's tennis team begins Ohio Valley Conference Tournament play with a 2 p.m., Friday contest against Eastern Illinois, at Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville.

The Governors (6-14, 2-3 OVC) earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament after dropping a 5-2 decision to Belmont last weekend.

Anton Damberg and Hunter Sanders won in singles, but the Govs missed a prime opportunity for a chance at a top three seed. Almantas Ozelis won the first set against reigning OVC Player of the Year Hendrik Inno at No. 1 singles, but Inno roared back to win in three sets. Timo Kiesslich went down a set early, rallied to win the second set, but also fell in three sets.

Opponent Spotlight

The Govs and the Panthers (13-14, 1-4 OVC) last met two weeks ago on April 12, where the Govs came away with a 4-0 victory. Kiesslich and Christian Edison led the Govs in the match against EIU. The two partnered for a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, before each won in straight sets in singles. The Panthers have not played since the loss to the Govs.

The Govs enjoy an 11-match win streak against Eastern Illinois, dating back to 2010. However, it was the first shutout victory for the Govs since 2012.

The match will feature two of the OVC's top players in Ozelis and Freddie O'Brien. The two players were deadlocked at six games apiece in the first set before the Govs clinched the match. O'Brien has a 15-7 mark while playing at the No. 1 spot and has teamed with Logan Charbonneau for an impressive 15-2 record in doubles, including a perfect 13-0 mark at the No. 3 spot.

@AustinPeayMTN will provide live coverage on Twitter of the match. If the Govs win, they will meet No. 1 seed Tennessee Tech in the OVC Semifinals.