LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The No. 21 Georgia College & State University Men's Tennis team (6-4) took the fight to No. 8 University of West Alabama (9-3) Tuesday, falling 4-3 on the road.
The doubles point went to the Tigers after wins at Nos. 1 and 2. Junior Enzo Sergi (Nice, France) and sophomore Karol Malirz (Marbella, Spain) got a 7-6[1] win in third doubles over Loic Danze and Nuutti Jokinen. Malirz and Sergi now have a 4-3 record in doubles this season.
On the first line, sophomore Gabe Cizek (Prague, Czech Republic) and freshman Luka Sauer Jimenez (Nyon, Switzerland) lost to Wilson Igbinovia and Lucas Hammond. In second doubles, senior Sebastian Nuñez (Buford, Georgia) and junior Masumi Komada (Aichi, Japan) lost to national No. 37 pair Ilari Vesanen and Ilia Dehodiuk 6-4.
The Bobcats were down two after the first singles result, as Sauer Jimenez lost to Hammond by shutout in the fifth slot. Sixth singles put UWA one point from the victory after Sergi fell to Dehodiuk 6-2, 6-0. Backs against the wall, Komada pulled out the team's first point by taking down Danze in a pair of 6-3 sets. Komada is now 6-2 in singles play this season, a team-best.
The respite was short, however as the Tigers clinched the team win with the next result, a loss for Jorge Robinson (Entre Rios, Argentina) in third singles to Igbinovia. The Bobcats then swept the final two results on the top two lines. Cizek improved to 5-5 this season with a first-singles win over No. 52 Vesanen. Malirz then closed the day, outlasting Jokinen for the second time today, 6-0, 6-7[4], 6-3. Malirz has a 6-3 singles record.
In the Bobcats' four losses this season, three have come to nationally-ranked teams, with the fourth coming at Division I Mercer University.
The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday, March 21 at 2 p.m., hosting No. 25 Augusta University.
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among public schools in Division II, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won three-straight Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.
