GSU M tennis Tymes
3
Stetson STET (4-3)
4
Winner Georgia State GSU (3-1)
Stetson STET
(4-3)
3
Final
4
Georgia State GSU
(3-1)
Winner

Match Recap: Men's Tennis |

Panthers Rally for Third Victory at Home, Defeat Stetson 4-3

ATLANTA- After falling behind 3-1, the Georgia State men's tennis team reeled off three-straight victories in singles competition to secure a win over Stetson, 4-3, on Sunday. With the match tied at 3-3, freshman Edward Tymes clinched the match for GSU with a three-set win in the sixth position to give the Panthers the match-point and a third consecutive victory at home.

Following a one-sided victory in doubles that gave GSU an early 1-0 lead, the team dropped on courts one, four and six giving Stetson a 3-1 advantage in the match. Faced with the possibility of a quick defeat, the team found itself having to rally from behind and claim victories on the remaining courts in order to maintain a win streak at home.

Harvey Maughan saw victory, 6-3, 6-4, with a strong performance playing in the No. 3 position for the Panthers while Andrei Duarte picked up yet another victory, 6-4, 6-3, in the team's No. 2 position. With the match tied, the outcome on court No. 6 was to decide the winner. 

Dropping the first set of his match and initially falling behind in the second, Tymes looked to be facing defeat as Stetson seemed poised to close out the match. With an energetic crowd gathering near court No. 6 to witness the final competition of Sunday's match, teammate Duarte picked up the team's third point on the neighboring court No. 2 to even the score. This gave Tymes a visible lift of energy and shift in momentum as teammates and spectators supported the freshman.

With the match on the line and an opportunity to clinch for the Panthers, Tymes began to chip away at his opponent's lead in the second set— eventually winning, 7-5. In an exhaustive back-and-forth battle, Tymes finally secured a 3-6, (7-5), 6-4 victory in the sixth position for GSU as he claimed the team's fourth point and a win.

"The day started off well and we played a really solid doubles point," head coach Jonathan Wolff said. "I think we competed really well on all courts and took it to them. It's always great to get that momentum leading into singles, but Stetson did a great job of battling back and not letting that doubles point affect them. They caught us off guard on a few courts, and we had to dig deep— especially on court six with our freshman coming back from behind to save a match point and clinch for us. As a head coach, it's not every day that your new freshman in the lineup— the first time having been in a situation like that— is able to come through for you and the team. It's obviously a very special moment for him. I'm super happy for him and it'll be great for his growth going forward."

The Panthers opened outdoor play at the GSU Clarkston Courts in Sunday's match. GSU will return to home play at the outdoor venue for a doubleheader of matches on Sunday, Feb. 27 as the team hosts Florida Gulf Coast at 11 a.m. ET followed by UAB at 4 p.m. ET.

"It was our first match outside on our home courts," Wolff said. "Some guys had better days than others. Maybe we felt a bit of pressure out there, but we learned a lot about ourselves and our character today. It's only going to help us going forward in our upcoming matches. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for our team. We'll reflect and recover with a day off, then hit the ground running again next week."

Moving to 3-1 on the season following Sunday's victory, the Panthers' next match will be on the road against Furman on Sunday, Feb. 13 at noon ET. Follow the GSU men's tennis team on Twitter and Instagram (@GSUMTennis) for the latest news and updates throughout the season.



 
Print Friendly Version