Eagles Edged By No. 43 Yellow Jackets, 7-0

ATLANTA, GA.  – Tough competition commenced at the Bill Moore Tennis Center Sunday afternoon between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Meeting for the 26th time in school history, the Eagles fell to the Jackets, 7-0, dropping to 1-3 on the season, while the No. 43 Jackets rose to 4-0. Georgia Tech now leads the series, 17-9. 

 All three Eagle doubles seeds succumbed to the Jackets Sunday afternoon. Philip Prins and Matthew Sands kept the match close, being broken only once, but the duo eventually fell, 8-6, to David North and Miguel Muguruza at the three seed. The number one duo of Emmanuel Nkoueleue and Borja Malet suffered their first loss of the season to Scott Blackmon and Ryan Smith, 8-3.

In singles action, the Jackets managed to keep the Eagles from winning a set throughout match play. However the Eagles kept matches close for the Jackets. Sands continued to push his opponent, being broken only once in the first set, keeping the competitiveness alive. He fell to Austin Roebuck, 6-4, in the first. Sands’ resilience carried into the second set, holding serve and keeping an advantage, 3-2. Sands was eventually broken and dropped the second set, 6-4.

At the one seed, lone senior Emmanuel Nkoueleue showed perseverance against his opponent, David North. Nkoueleue dropped the first set, 6-1, but brought the fight in the second set, holding serve through the twelfth game. Nkoueleue tested his opponent, drawing the second set into a tiebreak. The Douala, Cameroon native fell 7-6 in the tiebreak, suffering his first loss of the season.

Rasim Magafurov saw action for the first time as an Eagle falling to Doug Kenny in straight sets at the six seed.

The Eagles return home February 8 to take on Jacksonville University. The match is slated for a 2 p.m. start.

No. 43 Georgia Tech 7, Georgia Southern 0

Doubles:

1. Scott Blackmon/Ryan Smith (GT) d. Emmanuel Nkoueleue/Borja Malet (GS) 8-3*

2. Guillermo Gomez/Eliot Potvin (GT) d. Gregory Bekkers/Mark Paetz (GS) 8-0

3. David North/Miguel Muguruza (GT) d. Philip Prins/Matthew Sands (GS) 8-6

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3

*Clinched the doubles point

Singles:

1. David North (GT) d. Emmanuel Nkoueleue (GS) 6-1, 7-6

2. No. 82 Guillermo Gomez (GT) d. Gregory Bekkers (GS) 6-1, 6-2

3. Scott Blackmon (GT) d. Philip Prins (GS) 6-0, 6-1

4. Miguel Muguruza (GT) d. Mark Paetz (GS) 6-0, 6-1 *

5. Austin Roebuck (GT) d. Matthew Sands (GS) 6-4, 6-4

6. Doug Kenny (GT) d. Rasim Magafurov (GS) 6-1, 6-2

Order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 6, 5, 1

Category: Men's Tennis

Published on Monday, 04 February 2008 00:18