by Brian DeCandia, sports information graduate assistant
>>>Boxscore
AIKEN, S.C. – Battling the first ranked opponent of the 2011 season, the No. 12 Georgia College men's tennis team (2-0, 1-0 PBC) opened the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) season with a win at No. 25 USC Aiken this afternoon, 6-3.
The Bobcats went down 2-1 after the doubles competition. The No. 14 duo of Gregory Andrade and Bruno Orlandini defeated Jerome Leborgne (Coordimanche, France) and Johan Wadstein (Helsingborg, Sweden), 8-2 and Lucas Gobbi and Josh Rees edged past Leo Bernardes (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Tyler Franks (Greensboro, Ga.) 8-6. The only doubles victory came in the third slot from Tobias Rausch (Mannheim, Germnay) and Robert Angelucci (Acworth, Ga.). The tandem defeated Juan Guglielmeti and Kyle Sprow, 9-8.
The Bobcats turned it around in singles, only losing one match. No. 16 Leborgne dropped his first singles bout to No. 38 Andrade in three sets 6-7, 6-4, 7-5. Wadstein adjusted for a comfortable finish over Orlandini in straight sets 7-6, 6-1. Bernardes defeated Gobbi 7-5, 6-2 in the third slot. Rausch recorded a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Rees.
Franks put a stop to Guglielmeti 6-4, 6-3 in the fifth slot, and Mario Cardenas (Kennesaw, Ga.) toppled Kyle Sprow to finish out the lineup, 6-1, 6-3.
The Bobcats travel to Mars Hill College tomorrow, Feb. 12 for a 2 p.m. start.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, back-to-back winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/GCSUBobcats and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.
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