ROCK HILL, S.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – No. 6 Liberty upset No. 3 Coastal Carolina 4-1 in the first round of the Big South Men’s Tennis Championship Thursday evening at the Memorial Courts on the campus of Winthrop University.  With the win, Liberty improves to 10-11 on the year, while the Chanticleers end their season at 11-8.

The Flames picked up the doubles points as the No. 1 and No. 2 flights recorded wins.  At No. 1 doubles, Siim Tuus and Ben Wirth of Liberty downed Matt Gordon and Peter Billingham, 8-4.  The Flames’ duo of Shea Thomas and Giancarlo Lemmi closed out the doubles point with an 8-6 win over Dorian Sovic and Alex Funkhouser.

Liberty earned singles wins from the No. 3, No. 6 and No. 1 flights.  Shea Thomas picked up the Flames’ first singles win with a 7-6, 6-4 win over Funkhouser. At the No. 3 slot.  At No. 6, Wirth defeated Billingham, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.  Tuus closed out the match for Liberty with his 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Gordon

With the win Liberty moves to the semifinals where it will play No. 2 Radford on Friday, April 22 at 1:00pm.

Liberty 4, Coastal Carolina 1

Singles competition
1. Siim Tuus (LU) def. Matt Gordon (CCU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
2. Yusuke Kusuda (CCU) vs. Tristan Stayt (LU) 6-3, 6-6, unfinished
3. Shea Thomas (LU) def. Alex Funkhouser (CCU) 7-6, 6-4
4. Danny Heidecker (CCU) def. Giancarlo Lemmi (LU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Leo Christofides (CCU) vs. Mandeep Yadav (LU) 4-6, 6-2, 3-1, unfinished
6. Benjamin Wirth (LU) def. Peter Billingham (CCU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Siim Tuus/Benjamin Wirth (LU) def. Matt Gordon/Peter Billingham (CCU) 8-4
2. Shea Thomas/Giancarlo Lemmi (LU) def. Alex Funkhouser/Dorian Sovic (CCU) 8-6
3. Danny Heidecker/Yusuke Kusuda (CCU) vs. Tristan Stayt/Mandeep Yadav (LU) unfinished