Golden Eagles strong at the top, but fall at Georgia State, 4-3
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Tennessee Tech proved plenty strong at the top of the lineup, but winning the three top singles points couldn't push the Golden Eagles quite far enough in a 4-3 loss Tuesday to Georgia State.
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Tennessee Tech proved plenty strong at the top of the lineup, but winning the three top singles points couldn't push the Golden Eagles quite far enough in a 4-3 loss Tuesday to Georgia State.
Playing the singles matches first because of a threat of rain, the Golden Eagles (2-9) and Panthers (6-9) were locked up 3-3 after Tech took the top three and Georgia State claimed the bottom three positions. That forced the teams to play doubles, and the host team quickly claimed a pair of wins and the point to claim the match.
Each time GSU plut a poitn on the scoreboard, the Golden Eagles answered to tie it.
Felipe Jaworski took a 6-0, 6-4 decision from freshman Jorge Alfonzo at No. 6 for the first point of the day, before Eduardo Mena (photo above), another Golden Eagle freshman, swept to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3 over Andrei Andrukhou for a 1-1 match score.
At No. 5, the point went to Sofiane Chevallier with a 6-2, 6-5 win over Tech's Carlos Tajes for a 2-1 GSU lead. Once again, the Golden Eagles ties things when junior Alex Arovin outlasted Jannis Koeke, ranked 111th nationally, for a 2-2 match. After dropped a 6-1 first set, Arovin fought back to win the second 7-6 and claimed the point with a decisive 6-2 win in the third.
The final GSU singles point went to Sebastian Acuna in a three-set marathon with Alvaro Cintas at No. 4. Cintas dropped the first set, 6-2, and came back to win the second, 6-3. The third wen to Acuna, 6-4 for a 3-2 GSU match lead.
Sophomore Alberto Esteban gave Tech a chance when he earned a three-set win at No. 2 singles. Esteban took a 6-4 win in the opening set over Zack Kennedy. The Panther took the second, 6-4, before Esteban prevailed, 6-4, in the third for a 3-3 tie.
Moving to doubles to decide the day's outcome, GSU put a 6-2 win on the board at No. 3 as Koeke and Jannis topped Tajes and Alfozo. The final point was won at No. 2 as Acune and Andrukhou posted a 6-2 win over Cintas and Mena. The No. 1 match went unfinished once the day was decided.
The Golden Eagles will get down to Ohio Valley Conference business beginning this weekend with a pair of road matches. Tech visits Eastern Kentucky Friday for a 1 p.m. contest, then pays a visit to Morehead State Saturday at noon.
