Feb. 3, 2010

The Tennessee Volunteers captured their record-tying fifth consecutive shutout to start the season by sweeping Middle Tennessee 7-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Goodfriend Tennis Center.

The fifth-ranked Vols (5-0) jumped out early by securing the doubles point and have yet to lose singles or doubles in a dual match. Senior Matt Brewer clinched the match with a straight-set win from the fifth position.

Tennessee has not recorded five shutouts in a row since the 1964 season, in which head coach Tommy Bartlett led the Vols to a 13-1 record.

Junior Matteo Fago and freshman Tennys Sandgren, playing together for just the second time, cruised to an 8-1 win.

Senior Davey Sandgren and junior John-Patrick Smith clinched the point a few minutes later with an 8-2 win. With the victory, Sandgren and Smith moved alone into third on the Vols' career doubles wins list with 56 wins. They improved their season record to 17-3.

Junior John-Patrick Smith, ranked second, was the first to finish singles as he picked up win No. 22 of the season by defeating No. 105 John Peers 6-1, 6-1. Smith now has 12 wins over ranked opponents this year. The win was the 91st of Smith's career, moving him into a tie with Paul Podbury for ninth on the career list.

Matteo Fago won his sixth-position match by retirement midway through the second set, and Brewer, ranked 52nd, clinched the win for Tennessee with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Shaun Waters in the fifth position.

Singles

1. John-Patrick Smith (UT) def. John Peers (MTSU) 6-1, 6-1

2. Boris Conkic (UT) def. Victor Melo (MTSU) 6-4, 6-2

3. Rhyne Williams (UT) def. Richard Cowden (MTSU) 6-2, 6-4

4. Tennys Sandgren (UT) def. Matthew Langley (MTSU) 6-2, 6-3

5. Matt Brewer (UT) def. Shaun Waters (MTSU) 6-1, 7-5

6. Matteo Fago (UT) def. Alex McCann (MTSU) 6-0, 4-3, retired



Doubles

1. John-Patrick Smith/Davey Sandgren (UT) def. John Peers/Victor Melo (MTSU) 8-2

2. Rhyne Williams/Boris Conkic (UT) def. Richard Cowden/Matthew Langley (MTSU) 8-5

3. Tennys Sandgren/Matteo Fago (UT) def. Kyle Wishing/Shaun Waters (MTSU) 8-1



Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,6,5,2,4,3).