GSU men's tennis
3
South Florida USF (0-1)
4
Winner Georgia State GSUM (2-1)
South Florida USF
(0-1)
3
Final
4
Georgia State GSUM
(2-1)
Winner

Match Recap: Men's Tennis |

Panthers' Strong Play Early Secures Second Win at Home

ATLANTA- With strong performances from its seniors early in the match, the Georgia State men's tennis team secured its second victory of the season over USF 4-3 on Friday. Following a successful outing for the Panthers in doubles competition to take the lead 1-0, fifth year senior Andrei Duarte clinched the match for GSU on court two as he claimed the team's fourth point and the win.

Dropping in doubles and falling behind 0-1 in each of the squad's previous two outings, GSU looked to finally find a rhythm in early match play as the team prepared for its third match of the season. The Panthers did just that— winning in the first and second positions to secure the doubles point, then claiming wins on courts one, four and two in singles competition to give GSU the 4-1 advantage and pick up a second consecutive victory at home. 

"It was really good to see our number ones take care of business in doubles," head coach Jonathan Wolff said. "They understand the pressure on them to perform and help us get that point. It's just a matter of finding another win in those second and third positions after that. Those guys played well today and it paid off in the end. We got our first doubles point of the season and used that momentum heading into singles."

Senior Roberts Grinvalds was once again formidable playing the first position in singles as he knocked off his opponent 6-4, 6-4 on court one to earn the team's second point. With his win in doubles alongside partner Duarte, Grinvalds' strong play was critical to the Panthers finding success early. In his match clinching performance, Duarte continued to do his part to help lead GSU to victory as he followed up the success he's seen thus far in the spring by closing out the third set on a break point and posting another win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Fifth year senior Kevin Huynh also claimed victory 7-5, 6-4 on court four as he secured a third point for GSU. In his return to the team, Huynh's veteran presence has proven to be instrumental to the Panthers' success on the court. Playing alongside senior Harvey Maughan, the duo accounted for the needed win on court two that gave the Panthers the edge in doubles. 

"I thought our team competed really well today," Wolff said. "We had a lot of senior leadership at the top four positions. They played the big points better and more aggressive. We put in a lot of good practice this week to prepare for those pressure scenario points, and I thought we ultimately looked more comfortable out there because of it. Credit to USF— that's a really well-coached team. They competed hard and made it tough on us. It got a little tricky there towards the end with a couple of three set matches, but our fifth year senior Duarte came up clutch for us. I think it's definitely a step in the right direction for our team."

With the teams opting to play out the remainder of the match, GSU dropped matches in the fifth and sixth position to bring the final score to 4-3.

"It's always great to finish out the match and get our five and six players some experience as well," Wolff said. "I think that will go a long way for us throughout the season. It's good to see all the guys compete and get a win. We're going to use that momentum going into next weekend's matches and continue to defend our home court. We'll enjoy this one for the weekend and then hit the ground running next week."

The Panthers move to 2-1 on the season. GSU will host Tennessee Tech next Friday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. ET followed by Stetson on Sunday, Feb. 6 at noon. Both matches are set to be played at the GSU Clarkson Courts for the first time this spring season. 

Follow the GSU men's tennis team on Twitter and Instagram (@GSUMTennis) for the latest news and updates throughout the season.



 
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