GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College Men's tennis team defeated visiting Covenant College 8-1 Wednesday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex in the Pioneers? season opener.

Tusculum (1-0) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, including an 8-6 pro set win at the No. 1 flight by Henrique Rodrigues and Luis Zamora over the Covenant duo of Josh Jeremiah and John Hirte.

In singles play, Tusculum got victories by Zamora, Steven Lin, Oliver Smith, Drew Kiser and Paulo Dos Santos. Covenant's lone point came at No. 1 singles as Jeremiah defeated Rodrigues 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in a three-set battle.

Tusculum returns to action this Saturday as the Pioneers travel to Johnson C. Smith University for a 1 p.m. match in Charlotte, N.C.

- TC -

Tusculum 8, Covenant 1
Singles
1 ? Josh Jeremiah (CC) def. Henrique Rodrigues 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
2 ? Luis Zamora (TC) def. Garrett Reid 6-1, 6-7, 6-3
3 ? Steven Lin (TC) def. John Hirte 7-5, 6-4
4 ? Oliver Smith (TC) def. Jonny Herberich 6-0, 6-2
5 ? Drew Kiser (TC) def. Stephen Woody 6-2, 6-0
6 ? Paulo Dos Santos (TC) def. Andy Jones 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1 ? Rodrigues/Zamora (TC) def. Jeremiah/Hirte 8-6
2 ? Smith/Lin (TC) def. Reid/Herberich 8-4
3 ? Kiser/Dos Santos (TC) def. Woody/Jones 8-4