BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Dan Elston has now won four of his last five singles matches, but the Longwood men's tennis team fell, 6-1, to Gardner-Webb Sunday afternoon. The Lancers fall to 0-9 on the season, while Gardner-Webb improves to 6-7.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs opened the match by winning the doubles point on courts one and three. At the No. 3 position, the duo of Jonathan Walker and Brendan Dempsey defeated Longwood's tandem of Rosen Ilchev and Bharani Sankar. Gardner-Webb sealed the doubles point after Nikita Zverkov and Ernest Alberch earned an 8-3 win over Steed Johnson and Elston at the top of the lineup.
 
Longwood was able to win the match at the No. 2 position of the order, as the pair of Florian Uffer and Alfonso Castellano picked an 8-7 victory against the tandem of Adam Schnidt and Yaroslav Prostakov.
 
Gardner-Webb carried its momentum from doubles into singles, winning the first four matches completed in straight sets. Zverkov was the first off the courts at the No. 2 position, as he earned a 6-2, 6-3 win over Uffer, before Alberch picked up a 6-0, 6-2 decision against Catellano.
 
Gardner-Webb clinched the team win at the No. 6 spot in the lineup, as Prostakov defeated Lachlan Manser in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6. Meanwhile, Dempsey picked up a 6-0, 6-3 victory of Ilchev.
 
Elston has now won four of his last five matches on the year, as he tallied the only Longwood singles win of the day from the top of the lineup. He defeated Kaszas in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
 
Gardner-Webb's Ates earned a hard-fought 7-6, 6-0 victory over Johnson to round out the scores for the day.
 
Longwood returns to the courts Monday at Winthrop, as the match is slated for a noon first serve.
 
Tennis Match Results
Longwood vs Gardner-Webb
Mar 15, 2015 at Boiling Springs, N.C.
(Webb Tennis Complex)
 
Gardner-Webb 6, Longwood 1
 
Singles
1. ELSTON, Dan (LWU) def. Benjamin Kaszas (GWU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Nikita Zverkov (GWU) def. UFFER, Florian (LWU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Ernest Alberch (GWU) def. CASTELLANO, Alfonso (LWU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Korhan Ates (GWU) def. JOHNSON, Steed (LWU) 7-6, 6-0
5. Brendan Dempsey (GWU) def. ILCHEV, Rosen (LWU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Yaroslav Prostakov (GWU) def. MANSER, Lachlan (LWU) 6-2, 7-6
 
Doubles
1. Zverkov/Alberch (GWU) def. ELSTON/JOHNSON (LWU) 8-3
2. UFFER/CASTELLANO (LWU) def. Schmidt/Prostakov (GWU) 8-7
3. Walker/Dempsey (GWU) def. ILCHEV/SANKAR (LWU) 8-2
 
Match Notes:
Longwood 0-9
Gardner-Webb 6-7
Order of finish: Doubles (); Singles (2,3,6,5,1,4)
Gardner-Webb 1-1 in Conference Play
Longwood 0-3 in Conference Play
 
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