Norfolk, Va. - The Georgia State men's tennis team (15-3) won its tenth straight match by defeating Colonial Athletic Association foe Old Dominion, 5-2, Monday at the Folkes-Steven Tennis Center Monday. Sophomore Victor Valente clinched the match with a straight sets victory at No. 2 singles.
"This was a huge road win for us over a 12-2 ODU team," said head coach Chase Hodges. "We are a gritty team and played that way today. The CAA is loaded this season with talented teams so this was a big victory for us. We've won 10 straight, and the guys have plenty of belief."
Georgia State's 15-3 equals the best start in school history. The 1993 Panthers went 15-3 for the season.
With Georgia State leading 3-1, Valente clinched the match at No. 2 singles with a 6-0, 6-4, victory over Old Dominion's (12-3) Benjamin Chomette. Valente picked up his eighth win in a row, including a perfect 9-0 at the No. 2 position this season.
The Panthers claimed the doubles point after winning two of the three doubles matches. Valente and Thomas Cook won 8-2 at No. 2 doubles over Chomette and Fahoum Fahoum. Cook and Valente improved to 8-1, including eight wins in a row.
After Georgia State fell at No. 1 doubles, Lucas Santana and Juan Pablo Gutierrez won a tight match at No. 3 to clinch the doubles point, defeating Albert Ochagavia and Alfredo Rodriquez, 9-7. Santana and Gutierrez improved to 12-3 in doubles.
The Panthers are a perfect 10-0 when they win the doubles point and 21-1 in two seasons under Hodges.
GSU increased its lead to 2-0 after freshman Vincent Verpeaux won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 5 singles and improved to 16-2 overall. Verpeaux tied the school record for singles wins by a freshman, set in 2006 by Nejc Podkrajsek (16-5). He has won ten straight matches, including a 10-2 mark at the No. 5 flight.
Sophomore Lucas Santana followed with a straight sets win at No. 6 singles, 6-2, 6-2, and ran his record to 16-2. Santana has won ten straight matches, including a 15-1 mark at No. 6 singles.
ODU cut into the Panthers lead after Tobias Fanselow won in straight sets at No. 1 singles over Gabe Townes, 6-1, 6-2.
After Valente's clincher, the final two matches went the distance.
Junior Juan Pablo Gutierrez won in a third set super tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3), at No. 4 singles. Gutierrez was able to come back and win the last two sets, including the super tiebreaker 10-3. He improves to 11-5 and has won four straight matches.
Freshman Thomas Cook lost a three-set super tiebreaker, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3, 1-0 (10-1), at No. 3 singles to finish the match.
Georgia State continues its road trip by facing VCU Wednesday at 3p p.m. in Richmond, Va.
Check GeorgiaStateSports.com for all the match recaps and statistics of the 2011 men's tennis season.
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