Richmond Battles Liberty In 5-2 Road Loss

Thursday, March 4

Lynchburg, VA

3PM

University of Richmond

Liberty

03/04/2021 | Men's Tennis

Box Score

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The University of Richmond men's tennis team battled all match sending four matches into the third set but came up short 5-2 against Liberty Thursday at the Liberty Tennis Complex.

The Spiders (1-3) started the match by losing two of the three doubles matches. At No. 2 doubles, junior John Walsh (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and junior Campbell Erwin (San Antonio, Texas) lost to Deji Thomas-Smith and Christiaan Worst, 6-0.

Liberty clinched the doubles point as Nicaise Muamba and Rafael Maruqes Da Silva defeated junior Alex Wernink (Glen Cove, N.Y.) and graduate student Matt Fernandez (Richmond, Va.), 6-0, at No. 3 doubles.

In the final doubles match, freshman Daniel Kliebhan (Newtown, Pa.) and junior Josh Keitelman (Chevy Chase, Md.) went unfinished against Josh Wilson and Goncalo Ferreira at No. 1 doubles.

In singles, Worst gave Liberty a 2-0 lead after taking down Keitelman, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5 singles. The Flames earned another point as Thando Longwe-Smit won in straight sets against freshman Sebastian Miano (Barcelona, Spain), 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.

Walsh earned the first point for the Spiders with a third-set win against Thomas-Smith, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Kliebhan batted at No. 2 singles but fell against Marques Da Silva, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Muamba earned a three-set win against Fernandez at No. 1 singles 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.

In the final match, Wernink picked up Richmond's second point with a tight three-set win against Ferreira, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (0). Wernink played two tiebreakers in the match and won the third set tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-0) to win his match at No. 4 singles.

Richmond will face William & Mary in a quick turnaround on Friday, March 5 at 3 p.m. in Williamsburg, Va.

For more information about the Richmond men's tennis team visit RichmondSpiders.com or follow us on twitter at spidermten.

Liberty 5, Richmond 2
Singles competition
1.Nicaise Muamba (Liberty) def. Matt Fernandez, (UR), 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
2. Rafael Marques Da Silva def. Daniel Kliebhan, (UR), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
3. John Walsh, (UR) def. Deji Thomas-Smith (Liberty), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Alex Wernink (UR) def. Goncalo Ferreira (Liberty), 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (0)
5. Christiaan Worst (Liberty) def. Josh Keitelman, (UR), 6-2, 6-1
6. Thando Longwe-Smit def. Sebastian Miano (UR), 6-4, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Josh Wilson/Goncalo Ferreira vs. Daniel Kliebhan/Josh Keitelman (UR), 3-3 unfinished
2. Deji Thomas-Smith/Christiaan Worst def. Campbell Erwin/John Walsh (UR), 6-0
3. Nicaise Muamba/Rafael Marques Da Silva def. Matt Fernandez/Alex Wernink (UR), 6-0

Match Notes:
Richmond 1-3
Liberty 7-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,6,3,2,1,4)

-UR-