BOX SCORE

DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore Davide Callegari won his singles match in straight sets for host North Carolina Central University in a 6-1 non-conference men's tennis loss to College of Charleston late Saturday evening.
 
The defending Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference champions won all five tiebreakers contested as the Cougars got into the win column in their season debut. Charleston (1-0) handed NCCU (0-3) its third consecutive loss.
 
Callegari secured his triumph in the fourth slot in the lineup. He disposed of Charleston senior Rodrigo Encinas – who was an All-CAA performer in 2015 before sitting out last season due to injury – by set scores of 6-4, 6-3.
 
The Cougars won every doubles contests, but the Eagles were within two games of the visitors when play concluded on all three courts.
 
Sophomore Gabriel Cucalon and freshman Maksym Konovalov competed in a marathon doubles match against the Cougars top tandem of Encinas and junior Juan Estevarena. The Charleston duo won an extended 9-7 tiebreaker to slip past the Eagles 7-6. Encinas and Estevarena were a nationally ranked doubles team when they last played together two years ago.
 
Callegari and freshman partner Pablo Juez Torres were edged in the middle doubles bout, 7-5, while the freshmen pairing of Brooks Campbell and Theofanis Kontopoulos were nixed, 6-4. Juez Torres was making his collegiate debut for NCCU.
 
Cucalon played his third consecutive three-set match to start his second season with the maroon and gray. He battled Estevarena, a First Team All-CAA honoree last year, in three close sets in the marquee match before falling 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3.
 
Campbell also went three sets for the Eagles, narrowly dropping his sixth-slotted showdown 4-6, 7-6 (3), 11-9. Kontopoulos was trying for his second straight win, but was held off at No. 2 in a pair of tiebreakers: 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7). Charleston also won at No. 3 and No. 5 in straight sets, despite Konovalov and sophomore Sebastian Bromley both competing closely in 7-5 first-set losses.
 
NCCU next plays at in-town foe Duke University on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. The Blue Devils are receiving votes in the current Oracle/ITA Division I Men's National Top-25 Team Ranking Poll.