CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University men's tennis team looks to earn its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season when it host Eastern Illinois in a 1:30 p.m., Saturday match at the Governors Tennis Courts.
The Governors (4-6, 0-1 OVC) dropped their conference opener against Belmont, April 2, but look to get back in the win column against an Eastern Illinois team that APSU head men's tennis coach Ross Brown has found consistent success against.
Austin Peay has won 12 of its last 13 matches against the Panthers, including nine of its last 10 under Brown, and have not dropped a home match against EIU since 2009.
In singles, the Govs are led by sophomore Frederic Schlossmann, who earned a straight-set victory against Belmont's Arthur Toledo in the conference opener last weekend.
Schlossmann and senior Anton Damberg are tied for a team best four doubles wins from the No. 1 position this season. They are matched by the Govs' freshman pairing of Tom Bolton and Giovanni Becchis who have won four times from the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles court.
Eastern Illinois (3-17, 0-1) fell in their OVC opener against Tennessee Tech, 6-1, last weekend.
The Panthers return nine players from their 2021 season that finished fifth in the OVC, including redshirt sophomore Thomas Moore who leads EIU with seven singles victories from the No. 5 and No. 6 positions.
In doubles, EIU is led by Wallace and redshirt junior Christos Kyrillou, who are 8-6 on the season and 7-2 from the No. 1 position.
Up Next
Following their match against the Panthers, Austin Peay travels to southern Tennessee for an in-state clash against Chattanooga at 2 p.m., Tuesday, at the UTC Tennis Center.
Scouting the Panthers
2022 Record: 3-17 (0-1 OVC)
2021 Record: 3-14 (1-4 OVC)
2021 Season Result: After finishing fifth in the OVC last season, one match behind the Governors, Eastern Illinois missed the OVC Championship and had their season come to an end following a 6-1 loss against Chicago State, April 16.
Returners/Newcomers: 9/2
All-Time Series (Since 2004): 13-6 APSU
Last Meeting: Austin Peay defeated Eastern Illinois, 5-2, on Senior Day last season to earn their second OVC victory of the season.
The Govs jumped out to an early lead after claiming doubles victories from the No. 1 and No. 3 positions and secured the win after taking four of six singles points.
Follow the Govs on Social
For news and updates ahead of the Govs' match against Eastern Illinois, follow the men's tennis team on Twitter (@GovsMTN), Instagram and Facebook (Austin Peay Tennis).
