Orno Wins
    Orno Wins First
    Phil Orno won the

    Phil Orno won the

    Sept. 27, 2009

    Final Stats

    Contact: Greg Murphy

    MUNCIE, Ind. - Senior Phil Orno won two more matches on Sunday at the Ball State Cardinal Invitational and won the "A" flight singles title.

    Orno became the first player in school history to win an "A" flight tournament title.

    In addition, the doubles team of Rob Fox and John Haley combined to win the "B" flight doubles title with two more wins today.

    "We had a great weekend with several players competing at a very high level," assistant coach Jay Tee said. "I really like where we are at as a team and we will continue to work hard this fall to prepare for our remaining tournaments.

    "I thought Phil had a really nice weekend, bouncing back from last week," Tee continued. "He is hitting his stride and is playing like a senior leader should be playing.

    "Rob and John also played well the entire weekend in doubles. They were aggressive when they needed to be and played good, smart tennis. I thought they looked very sharp for playing together for the first time as doubles partners."

    Orno, who was a perfect 5-0 this weekend in singles, advanced to today's finals with a 6-2, 6-0 win over senior teammate and doubles partner Ryan Hamning.

    In the finals, Orno topped Detroit's Pjorts Necajevs, 6-4, 6-2, to avenge his only Horizon League loss from last season. The match was also a meeting between the last two Horizon League Player of the Year winners. Orno captured the award in 2008 and Necajevs won it last season.

    "I was really down mentally after a disappointing weekend last week," Orno said. "The coaches worked with me a lot this week to get things turned around and I was much more comfortable and focused on the court. It was important for me to come out and avenge my loss to Pjorts from last season."

     

     

    Fox and Haley combined to beat Anthony Palmenter and Brian Starr of Xavier, 8-1, in the doubles "B" flight semifinals and then knocked off Matyas Hilgert and Jeff Rutherford, 8-3, of Eastern Illinois in the finals.

    A majority of the Viking squad will be out of action until Oct. 9-11 when CSU competes at the Michigan State Invitational.

    However, the trio of Orno, Hamning and sophomore Yannick Goossens will travel to Tulsa, Okla., this weekend (Oct. 2-4) to compete in the All-American Invitational

    CSU SINGLES RESULTS
    Phil Orno (CSU) d. Ryan Hamning (CSU), 6-2, 6-0
    Phil Orno (CSU) d. Pjotrs Necajevs (UDM), 6-4, 6-2
    Orno wins "A" Flight" singles

    CSU DOUBLES RESULTS
    Fox/Haley (CSU) d. Anthony Palmenter (XU), 8-1
    Fox/Haley d. Matayas Hilgert/Jeff Rutherford (EIU), 8-3
    Fox and Haley win "B" Flight doubles