LYNCHBURG, Va. – Winthrop men's tennis (10-7, 6-0 Big South Conference) remained undefeated in conference play with a 4-3 road win at Liberty (12-10, 4-2 Big South Conference) Sunday afternoon. The six Big South wins marks the most for the program since the 2014 squad went 6-2 in league play.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Eagles won the doubles point for the ninth time this season, taking two of three courts. Tremayne Mitchell and Diego Quiroz improved to 4-0 in Big South play with a 6-2 victory at court one. The Flames evened the score with a 6-4 win at No. 2, bringing the point down to court three where Joshua Ryan and Gabriel Dias roared back from down 2-5 to tie up the match 5-5 and then force a tiebreak at 6-6. The undefeated duo won the tiebreaker 8-6 to clinch the match and the doubles point for Winthrop.

-Junior Diego Quiroz gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 1, his third straight-sets victory in conference play.

-The Flames evened the match at 2-2 with a three-set win on court six, the first loss of the season for Joshua Ryan in the Big South.

-Sophomore Connor Williamson put Winthrop on top again 3-2 with his third-consecutive Big South win, all coming in straight-sets.

-With one more point needed to clinch the match, the Eagles found themselves with two courts in three-set battles, Gabriel Dias on No. 5 and Tremayne Mitchell on No. 2. Dias won his first set 6-2, but was turned around in the second 6-3. Mitchell fell in his first set, 6-3, but battled in a back-and-forth second set to take it in a 7-6 tiebreaker victory. In the third, Dias would cruise to a 6-2 victory and clinch the match win for Winthrop. With team victory already assured, Mitchell fell in a third-set match for the first time this season.

NOTABLES
-Gabriel Dias and Joshua Ryan clinched the doubles point with a tiebreaker win, improving their undefeated record to 10-0 on the year, the best record in the Big South Conference. Mitchell and Quiroz also remained unbeaten in doubles in conference play, improving to 4-0.

-Sophomore Connor Williamson has won four of his last five matches overall and three-consecutive Big South matches, all in straight-sets.

-Since dropping a tough 6-0 loss to Ga. Southern on Feb. 25, Winthrop has bounced back to win nine of 11 matches over the past month, including its 6-0 start in the league. 

-Winthrop is now in sole possession of first place in the Big South Conference with one match remaining and has clinched at least a share of the regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big South Championship Tournament, hosted in Rock Hill.
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles' final regular season match-up is set for Thurs., Apr. 12 against Big South foe Presbyterian, with first serve at 2 p.m. at Rock Hill Tennis Center.

FULL RESULTS
Singles
1. QUIROZ, Diego (WIN) def. MATHESON, Sam (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-1
2. BURTON, Chase (LIBERTYM) def. MITCHELL, Tremayne (WIN) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2
3. GUTIERREZ, Eddie (LIBERTYM) def. PAPPAYIANNIS, L. (WIN) 6-0, 6-0
4. WILLIAMSON, Connor (WIN) def. SALAS, Vince (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)
5. DIAS, Gabriel (WIN) def. POYNTER, Alex (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
6. CASTANO, Diego (LIBERTYM) def. RYAN, Joshua (WIN) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0

Doubles
1. QUIROZ, Diego/MITCHELL, Tremayne (WIN) def. CASTANO, Diego/POYNTER, Alex (LIBERTYM) 6-2
2. BURTON, Chase/MATHESON, Sam (LIBERTYM) def. WILLIAMSON, Connor/GOKHALE, Aditya (WIN) 6-4
3. DIAS, Gabriel/RYAN, Joshua (WIN) def. GUTIERREZ, Eddie/SALAS, Vince (LIBERTYM) 7-6 (8-6)
 
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Mark your calendars - Winthrop is hosting the Big South Conference Championship in men's and women's tennis April 16-21 at Rock Hill Tennis Center. More information on match times will be available soon after the full bracket is released.