NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 6, Belhaven 1
Records: Piedmont, 3-3 (1-0 CCS); Belhaven, 3-4 (0-1 CCS)

JACKSON, Miss. - Piedmont men's tennis won its second match in a row, defeating Belhaven 6-1 on Saturday afternoon in Jackson, Mississippi in the CCS opener.

The Lions won a hard-fought doubles point before moving into singles and winning five of the six lines there as well, with four wins coming in straight sets.

Doubles play began with a clinical Piedmont victory as Simon Johnstone and Artiom Anzhilov cruised 6-1 at No. 3. However, the matches at No. 1 and No. 2 were closely contested, but the Lions came out on top in both to take the doubles point.

Playing in their first dual match together as doubles partners, freshmen Amir Latipov and Leyton Dunn prevailed 7-5 at No. 1 to clinch the doubles point and a 1-0 lead. Then, shortly after, it was the veteran duo of Yannick Wassmer Navarro and Connor Phelps coming through with a 7-5 win of their own at No. 2.

Needing just three points in singles to clinch the match, Piedmont used the middle and bottom of the lineup to secure the clinch.

Johnstone won first, picking up his second singles win in as many matches, cruising 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3. Then, after a Belhaven win at No. 1, it was Anzhilov coming through with his first career dual singles victory, with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 4 to put the Lions one match away from the win.

The Lions then immediately shut the door, as the freshman Dunn won his first career singles match to secure a 1-0 conference start for the Lions.

With the win in hand, Bryce VanOrder (6-3, 1-6, 1-0 (8)) and Latipov (6-2, 6-3) closed out the action with two more points for Piedmont.

Up next, Piedmont will return home and host Pfeiffer from the USA South and Huntingdon in a CCS conference match. Both are scheduled for this Friday, March 7.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- For the second straight match, the freshmen played a crucial role, as they had a hand in two of the three doubles match wins and three of the six singles victories.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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