Air Force Academy

Feb. 27, 2009

The Air Force men's tennis team lost its second consecutive home match Friday, falling to the University of Oregon, 5-2. Juniors Austin Francis and Brett Rodgers notched singles wins for the Falcons, who fell to 1-9 this season, while Oregon improved to 7-6.

The Ducks took an early 1-0 lead by sweeping the three doubles matches rather handily, led by Marcos Verdasco and Alexander Cornelissen winning the No. 1 match, 8-4, over Francis and freshman Cody Hall.

Needing to win four singles matches, the Falcons won the first set at three of the top four spots. Cornelissen gave Oregon a 2-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Hall, but Air Force tied it up with its two victories. Rodgers gave Air Force its first point with his first singles win of the season, taking a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Ayrton Wibowo at No. 3. Francis then evened the match at 2-all with an exciting, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Verdasco at the top spot.

Sophomore Taylor Soster won the first set, 6-3, over Jose Izquierdo at the No. 4 position, but Izquierdo battled back to win a second-set tiebreaker, 7-2, then take the third set, 6-3. Duncan MacDonald-Korth clinched the match for Oregon with a 7-5, 6-2 win over junior James Tomlin at No. 5, and Sho Higuchi won at the No. 6 spot, 6-2, 7-5, over freshman Will Brown.

The Falcons are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 28 when they host Northern Colorado at 11 a.m.

Oregon 5, Air Force 2
Feb. 27, 2009 at USAFA, Colo.

Singles
1. Austin Francis (AF) def. Marcos Verdasco, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
2. Alexander Cornelissen (UO) def. Cody Hall, 6-1, 6-4
3. Brett Rodgers (AF) def. Ayrton Wibowo, 6-4, 7-5
4. Jose Izquierdo (UO) def. Taylor Soster, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3
5. Duncan MacDonald-Korth (UO) def. James Tomlin, 7-5, 6-2
6. Sho Higuchi (UO) def. Will Brown, 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1, 4, 5*, 6