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Senior Carlos Quiroga came through for the decisive fifth point of the match to send the Firebirds to victory.
Senior Carlos Quiroga came through for the decisive fifth point of the match to send the Firebirds to victory.
Posted: Sep 18, 2013

Carlos Quiroga’s Clutch Singles Win Sends Firebirds to Season-Opening Victory

Box Score
Team Stats
Doubles
Uzcategui, Miguel / Kiro, Ike (UDC-M)
def. Pratt, Chris / Kolumban, Steve (SHEP)
8-3
Andersson, Simon / Jackermeier, Simon (UDC-M)
def. Lesko, Michael / Davis, Grant (SHEP)
8-6
Lesko, Steven / Starlings, Al (SHEP)
def. Quiroga, Carlos / Stewart, Drew (UDC-M)
8-6
Singles
Pratt, Chris (SHEP)
def. Uzcategui, Miguel (UDC-M)
6-3, 6-1
Lesko, Michael (SHEP)
def. Kiro, Ike (UDC-M)
FINAL - RETIREMENT
Jackermeier, Simon (UDC-M)
def. Davis, Grant (SHEP)
7-5, 6-1
Andersson, Simon (UDC-M)
def. Kolumban, Steve (SHEP)
6-0, 6-0
Quiroga, Carlos (UDC-M)
def. Lesko, Steven (SHEP)
6-2, 7-6
Starlings, Al (SHEP)
def. Stewart, Drew (UDC-M)
6-0, 6-1

WASHINGTON, DC – With the match deadlocked at 4-4, senior Carlos Quiroga came through with a clutch No. 5 singles win to send the University of the District of Columbia to a 5-4 victory over Shepherd in the Firebirds' 2013 season opener on Wednesday afternoon at UDC Tennis Courts.

UDC (1-0) won two of three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead heading into singles play, but had lost three of the first five completed singles matches leaving Quiroga vs. Shepherd's Steven Lesko as the deciding point. Quiroga (Electrical Engineering – Valencia, Venezuela/Maria Montessori) answered the call, battling out a 6-2, 7-6 win to send his team to victory.

Senior Miguel Uzcategui (Electrical Engineering – Valencia, Venezuela/Colegio Sagrado Corazon), a First Team All-ECC selection last season, teamed with senior Ike Kiro (Business Management – Milnerton Ridge, South Africa/Milnerton HS) for an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles for the first point of the match. Junior Simon Andersson (Business Management – Ystad, Sweden/Sydskanska Gymnaiset) and freshman Simon Jackermeier (Business Management – Munich, Germany/Theresien-Gymnasium) followed with a gritty, 8-6 win over Shepherd's Michael Lesko and Grant Davis at No. 2 doubles. The Firebirds were unable to complete the doubles sweep though as Quiroga, and freshman Drew Stewart (Information Technology – Fort Washington, MD/National Christian Academy) were outlasted, 8-6 by Steven Lesko and Al Starlings.

The Rams came charging back in singles play, completing consecutive wins at the top two spots to take a 3-2 match lead. District of Columbia would answer with back-to-back wins by Jackermeier and Simon Andersson at No. 3 and 4, respectively, and regain the match lead, 4-3. A Shepherd win at the No. 6 spot would knot the score at 4-4, setting up Quiroga's heroics at the No. 5 spot to complete the Firebirds win.

UDC will travel to Philadelphia this weekend where the Firebirds will compete in the ITA East Regional Championship.