Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Georgia State men's tennis team (16-5) defeated Gardner-Webb, 6-1, Saturday afternoon in North Carolina. Junior Juan Pablo won at No. 4 singles to clinch the match for the Panthers.

With the Panthers leading 3-0, Gutierrez won in straight sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, at No. 4 singles over Adam Knutsson-Sunblad. Gutierrez trailed 5-2 in the first set before rallying to force a tiebreaker at 6-6 and then won the breaker 7-5. He improves to 12-6 in singles.

Georgia State claimed the doubles point after winning two of the three matches. Thomas Cook and Victor Valente won 8-2 at No. 1 doubles to improve to 9-3. Gutierrez and Lucas Santana clinched the point with an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles, improving to 13-5.

Sophomore Victor Valente gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead after a straight sets victory at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-1 over Julien Belair. Valente improves to 15-4, including 5-3 at the No. 1 spot.

Freshman Vincent Verpeaux continued his outstanding season with a straight sets win 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6 singles over Matthew Parker and to improve 18-3 in singles. Verpeaux has won two straight matches with a perfect 4-0 record at No. 6 singles.

After Gutierrez's clincher, freshman Thomas Cook gave the Panthers a 5-0 lead with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles over Korhan Ates. Cook improves to 13-6 in singles.

Gardner-Webb won its only point at No. 5 singles when Roman Piftor defeated Lucas Santana, 7-5, 6-4.

In the final match freshman Breon Badger outlasted Andrew Veeder at No. 3 singles, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, and improved to 5-5 in singles. After Badger dropped the first set, he would come back to win the next two to win his fourth straight match.

Georgia State finishes the weekend by traveling to Asheville, N.C. to take on UNC Asheville Sunday at 1 p.m.

Check GeorgiaStateSports.com for all the match recaps and statistics of the 2011 men's tennis season.

-www.GeorgiaStateSports.com-