Head Coach Kenny Thorne Records 350th Career Win

THE FLATS – Byers Head Coach Kenny Thorne secured his 350th career win during the Friday doubleheader over North Alabama, 4-1, and Samford, 5-2. Thorne improves on his tally as the winningest coach in program history and one of the winningest tennis coaches across the sport.

The Jackets began the day with a comeback performance in doubles play, dropping the match on Court 3 early before trading games back-and-forth on Courts 1-2. Richard Biagiotti and Jonathan Irwanto broke a crucial serve and won their service game to take a 5-3 lead before finishing with a 6-4 victory on Court 2.

Christophe Clement and Hidde Schoenmakers won their return game to go up 5-4 and served out the doubles point to put the Jackets on the board first. Tech won four of the opening six first sets in singles play before Schoenmakers retired from his match due to injury to tie the match at 1-1.

Biagiotti played shutdown tennis in his second set at 6-4, 6-0 to return the Tech lead just as the No. 122 player in the nation, Irwanto, closed out his match in straight sets at 7-5, 6-2. Gianluca Carlini clinched the match victory following a second-set blanking to win 6-4, 6-0 on Court 3.

In the next match, Tech was forced into a unique lineup in doubles due to the Schoenmakers injury and ultimately dropped the doubles point. The white and gold shook off the early deficit and took dominating first-set victories on Courts 1-5. Carlini finished off his match on Court 2 at 6-0, 6-3 to complete a masterful day in singles play.

The Yellow Jackets turned loose as Clement secured a matching pair of 6-3 set wins on Court 1 within seconds of Biagiotti grinding out a 6-4, 6-4 result to put Tech within one. Irwanto clinched the match over Sebastian Harrison at 6-4, 6-3 as Tech led 4-1.

Elias Shokry pulled out a crucial first-set tiebreaker to set up his controlled performance in the second frame to win 7-6 (3), 6-3 for the fifth point. Owen DeMuth hung tough, overcoming a first-set deficit with a mighty 6-2 second set but ultimately dropped the final frame.

Carlini, Irwanto, and Biagiotti each notched two singles victories across the day, Carlini dished out two 6-0 sets in two different matches. Clement remains unbeaten in the spring on Court 1 at 4-0.

Georgia Tech will host the final weekend of non-conference play with Jacksonville State on Friday at 4 p.m. before welcoming Big 12 side Texas Tech next Sunday at 11 a.m.

Georgia Tech 4, North Alabama 1

Singles:

1. Christophe Clement (GT) def. Lachlan Brain (UNA) 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
2. Alberto Altur (UNA) def. Hidde Schoenmakers (GT) 7-5, 3-0, ret.
3. Gianluca Carlini (GT) def. Izan Orgiles (UNA) 6-4, 6-0
4. #122 Jonathan Irwanto (GT) def. Samu Dominguez (UNA) 7-5, 6-2
5. Elias Shokry (GT) def. Alex Despoja (UNA) 6-7 (5), 0-2, unfinished
6. Richard Biagiotti (GT) def. Satoru Nakajima (UNA) 6-4, 6-0

Doubles:

1. Christophe Clement/Hidde Schoenmakers (GT) def. Alex Despoja/Izan Orgiles (UNA) 6-4
2. Richard Biagiotti/Jonathan Irwanto (GT) def. Alberto Altur/Satoru Nakajima (UNA) 6-4
3. Lachlan Brain/Samu Dominguez (UNA) def. Gianluca Carlini/Owen DeMuth (GT) 6-2

Georgia Tech (5-2) | North Alabama (2-5)

Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (2, 6, 4, 3)

Georgia Tech 5, Samford 2

Singles:

1. Christophe Clement (GT) def. Sandeep Mohandoss (SAMF) 6-3, 6-3
2. Gianluca Carlini (GT) def. Darcy Nicholls (SAMF) 6-0, 6-3
3. #122 Jonathan Irwanto (GT) def. Sebastian Harrison (SAMF) 6-4, 6-3
4. Elias Shokry (GT) def. Santiago Arredondo (SAMF) 7-6 (3), 6-3
5. Richard Biagiotti (GT) def. Lukas Dvorak (UNA) 6-4, 6-4
6. Cooper Errey (SAMF) def. Owen DeMuth (GT) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3

Doubles:

1. Sandeep Mohandoss/Darcy Nicholls (SAMF) def. Christophe Clement/Gianluca Carlini (GT) 6-1
2. Richard Biagiotti/Jonathan Irwanto (GT) vs. Sebastian Harrison/Vitorio Sardinha (SAMF) 4-4, unfinished
3. Lukas Dvorak/Cooper Errey (SAMF) def. Robert Bauer/Owen DeMuth (GT) 6-4

Georgia Tech (6-2) | Samford (4-4)

Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 3); Singles (2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 6)

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

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