Statesboro, Ga.--The Georgia State men's tennis team dominated Georgia Southern on Sunday on the way to a convincing 7-0 victory.
The Panthers improved to 12-2 on the season and have won their eighth-straight match. The best winning streak GSU has put together under third-year head coach Chase Hodges was a 10-game winning streak last season.
"I'm pleased with our effort and a 7-0 victory over an in-state rival," Hodges said, "We have won eight matches in a row and are starting to peak at the right time."
Georgia State did not drop a set in the match as it swept singles and doubles play.
Junior Victor Valente, the No. 14-ranked player in the ITA Southeast Singles rankings, clinched the win with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles vs. Georgia Southern (1-12) senior Alain Garrido. It is the junior's 10th victory on the season.
Freshman Matias Hatem notched his 10th straight singles victory with a 6-1, 7-6 (9), win at No. 2 singles. Hatem is now off to a 13-1 start to his career at Georgia State, one of the best starts in recent history.
Freshman Ismael Lahlou began the match with a 6-0, 6-1, at No. 5 singles vs. freshman Daniel Rush. Freshman Sofiane Chevallier followed, and improved to 4-0 this season, with a 6-4, 6-1, win at No. 5 singles. Chevallier defeated freshman Andrew Dromsky.
Senior Juan Pablo Gutierrez defeated senior Sebastien Felt 6-2, 6-2, at No. 6 singles and sophomore Thomas Cook closed the match with a 6-1, 7-6 (9) at No. 3 singles vs. freshman Albert Codina Sala. Both notched their 10th victories on the season.
GSU swept doubles play to take the early 1-0 lead in the match. Valente and Gutierrez paired at No. 1 to defeat Garrido and Dromsky 8-5. Hatem and Cook took a 8-6 decision at No. 2 doubles over sophomore Marco Osorio. The No. 3 pair of Chevallier and Lahlou won 8-6 at No. 3 over freshman Kyle Hoffman and Sala.
Georgia State begins a four-match home stand on Saturday with a 10 a.m. match vs. Southern Illinois. The match will take place at the Sharon Lester Tennis Center. The Panthers follow that with a doubleheader on Sunday vs. Morehouse and Florida A&M. GSU takes on Morehouse at 11 a.m. at the Joseph D. McGhee Tennis Center and follows that with a 6 p.m. match vs. Florida A&M Chattahoochee Plantation Tennis Center.
Doubles:
1. Victor Valente/Juan Pablo Gutierrez def. Garrido/Dromsky, 8-5
2. Matias Hatem/Thomas Cook def. Osorio/Rush, 8-6
3. Sofiane Chevallier/Ismael Lahlou def. Hoffman/Sala, 8-6
Singles:
1. Victor Valente def. Garrido, 6-0,6-2
2. Matias Hatem def. Hoffman 6-0,6-1
3. Thomas Cook def. Sala 6-1,7-6(9)
4. Sofiane Chevallier def. Dromsky 6-4,6-1
5. Ismael Lahlou def. Rush 6-0,6-1
6. Juan Pablo Gutierrez def. Felt 6-2,6-2
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