EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Taking the courts for the first time this spring, Austin Peay State University men's tennis team dropped its season-opening match to Belmont 7-0, Saturday, at the Evansville Tennis Center.

Belmont (2-0) took the early lead after winning all three doubles matches.

Austin Peay's (0-1) sophomore pairing of Tom Bolton and Giovanni Becchis fell 6-1 on the No. 1 court, while freshmen Aeneas Schaub and Javier Tortajada fell in their first doubles match together. Sophomore Hogan Stoker and Bodi van Galen – making his collegiate debut – dropped a 6-3 decision from the No. 3 position.

After dropping his first set to Belmont's Niklas con Hellens, von Galen won the second set, 6-2, but fell 10-3 in the 10-point tiebreaker.

After falling in first-set tiebreakers, Becchis and Schaub each dropped their second sets from the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, respectively. 

Results vs. Belmont

Doubles

1. Marko Ilic/Riccardo Trione (BEL) def. Tom Bolton / Giovanni Becchis (APSU) 6-1

2. Jack Randall/Alfred Wallin (BEL) def. Aeneas Schaub / Javier Tortajada (APSU) 7-5

3. Tomas Luis/Ian Cruz (BEL) def. Hogan Stoker / Bodi van Galen (APSU) 6-3

Singles

1. Marko Ilic (BEL) def. Giovanni Becchis (APSU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2

2. Tomas Luis (BEL) def. Aeneas Schaub (APSU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

3. Ian Cruz (BEL) def. Tom Bolton (APSU) 6-2, 6-2

4. Riccardo Trione (BEL) def. Javier Tortajada (APSU) 6-1, 6-0

5. Niklas von Hellens (BEL) def. Bodi van Galen (APSU) 6-4, 2-6, 10-3

6. Gabriel Sardo (BEL) def. Thiago Nogueira (APSU) 6-2, 6-2

Up Next

Austin Peay prepares for a quick turnaround when it hosts Oakland City in a 2:30 p.m., Sunday match at the Evansville Tennis Center in Evansville, Indiana.

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For news and updates ahead of the Governors' inaugural ASUN Conference season, follow the men's tennis team on Twitter (@GovsMTN), Instagram (@GovsTennis) and Facebook (Austin Peay Tennis).