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@GT_MTEN Falls to No. 12 UCLA in ITA Kick-Off

Jan. 24, 2016

Results

Los Angeles, Calif. – Georgia Tech dropped its No. 2 and 3 doubles matches and its No. 2 and 3 singles matches, suffering its first loss of the spring in a 4-0 defeat to No. 12 UCLA Sunday in the second round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Tech, 3-1 and ranked No. 42, sustained its first loss of the spring and looks ahead to a pair of road matches in the next two weeks, beginning Saturday at No. 51 South Carolina. The Bruins (3-0) move on to play in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, Feb. 12-16, in Chicago, Ill.

UCLA clinched the doubles point, and later the match, before the Yellow Jackets’ nationally-ranked players could contribute points. In doubles, Nathan Rakitt and Andrew Li fell to Maxime Cressy and Martin Redlicki at No. 3, while Cole Fiegel and Christopher Eubanks lost to Gage Brymer and Austin Rapp at No. 2 in hard-fought matches.

That left the Yellow Jackets’ top team, 36th-ranked Casey and Michael Kay, battling the Bruins’ top team in a match unfinished.

Similarly in singles, Tech’s Eubanks, ranked sixth in the nation, won his first set in a tiebreaker over the 48th-ranked Redlicki at No. 1, and Nathan Rakitt pulled out his first set in a tiebreaker against Rapp at No. 5. But both players were left on the court as the Bruins clinched the match with victories at No. 3, 2 and 6 in straight sets.

Karue Sell earned the Bruins’ second point with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Michael Kay at No. 3, while Brymer downed Carlos Benito, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 3. Joseph DiGiulio won the clinching point for UCLA after finishing off Fiegel, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 6.

HEAD COACH Kenny Thorne SAYS – “I’m proud of our guys for fighting hard but very disappointed in this match. I give UCLA credit for coming out in doubles and playing a little better than us. We also got down early in singles matches but fought back strong. We were in the match but didn’t play our best all the way up and down our lineup. It was a good opportunity missed. We have learned a lot about ourselves these past two weeks and each guy knows what he needs to work on. We can definitely get better than where we are right now, and we aren’t in a bad place. That is good news for this team and should motivate us all to get going.”

#12 UCLA 4, #42 Georgia Tech 0
Jan 24, 2016 at Los Angeles, Calif.
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. #48 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) vs. #6 Christopher Eubanks (GT) 6-7 (6-8), 2-4, unfinished
2. Gage Brymer (UCLA) def. Carlos Benito (GT) 6-2, 6-3
3. Karue Sell (UCLA) def. Michael Kay (GT) 6-2, 6-3
4. #98 Logan Staggs (UCLA) vs. Andrew Li (GT) 7-6, 2-1, unfinished
5. Austin Rapp (UCLA) vs. Nathan Rakitt (GT) 6-7 (5-7), 1-1, unfinished
6. Joseph Di Giulio (UCLA) def. Cole Fiegel (GT) 6-2, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Joseph Di Giulio/Karue Sell (UCLA) vs. #36 Casey Kay/Michael Kay (GT) 5-4, unfinished
2. Gage Brymer/Austin Rapp (UCLA) def. Cole Fiegel/Christopher Eubanks (GT) 6-3
3. Maxime Cressy/Martin Redlicki (UCLA) def. Nathan Rakitt/Andrew Li (GT) 6-4

Match Notes:
Georgia Tech 3-1; National ranking #42
UCLA 3-0; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,2,6)

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