Tyler Junior College

By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer
Tyler Morning Telegraph

The 2 1/2-hour dual match ended with Mwalimu Phiri winning 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6 singles, and John Haley downing Daavid Williams at No. 3, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles play opened the action with the Apaches (11-1) losing a total of only four games.

"We got by a very good Collin County team, 5-4, Monday," said TJC head coach John Peterson. "We lost the doubles point, so we made some changes in doubles and stressed getting off to a good start."

TJC had plenty of firepower in doubles with Dominic McLuskey and Roman Petrunin defeating Daavid Williams and Justin Berg, 8-1, at No. 1.

"The Temple team of Berg and Williams had beaten Collin County's same No. 1 that we played (and lost to)," Peterson said.

John Haley and Zack Goldsmith, coming off the loss to Collin County, moved down a spot and won 8-3 at No. 2.

"They are a great serving team and technical team," Peterson said of Haley and Goldsmith. "The key to them is can they return serve."

Sophomores Clay Cypert and Antoine Laberibe rolled to an 8-0 win at No. 3. Laberibe, a key player as a freshman, has been limited this spring by illness and injury.

The Apaches used singles play to get Brazil's Pier Pieracciani his first varsity match. He won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 5.

By leaving McLuskey, Petrunin and Goldsmith out of singles, Haley and Cypert moved up in the lineup and lost a combined five games.

Thibaud Aime and Laberibe combined to lose seven games at Nos. 1 and 2 singles.

Smoke Signals: Temple, which competes in Region V, has a record of 6-5 this season. ... TJC will return to action Tuesday at Temple (men and women), followed by home matches with Scottsdale (Ariz.) on April 3, UT Dallas on April 4, and Trinity on April 5.

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Men's Tennis

TJC 9, Temple 0

Doubles

Dominic McLuskey-Roman Petrunin, TJC, def. Justin Berg-Daavid Williams, 8-1; John Haley-Zack Goldsmith, TJC, def. Kevin Serwatka-Billy Gates, 8-3; Clay Cypert-Antoine Laberibe, TJC, def. Michel Abundis-Eric Tobin, 8-0.

Singles

Thibaud Aime, TJC, def. Serwatka, 6-1, 6-2; Laberibe def. Abundis, 6-1, 6-3; Haley def. Berg, 6-2, 6-2; Cypert def. Gates, 6-1, 6-0; Pier Pieracciani, TJC, def. Williams, 6-4, 6-2; Mwalimu Phiri, TJC, def. Tobin, 6-3, 6-3.