Jan. 18, 2013
THE FLATS – Vikram Hundal rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the second set of his match to put away Jonas Kuwert, 7-6, 7-5, for the clinching point, lifting Georgia Tech to a 4-2 victory over Old Dominion Friday afternoon in the season opener for both teams at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Hundal, a sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga., earned his first singles win of the spring in straight sets from the No. 3 slot in the Tech lineup, while sophomore Eduardo Segura and freshman Nathan Rakitt also took straight-set victories at No. 4 and 5, respectively, getting a victory for Tech in its brand-new facility.
Segura and Rakitt won their matches quickly to stake the Yellow Jackets to a 3-0 advantage. Segura, from Madrid, Spain, put away Zvonimir Podvinski, 6-0, 6-4, while Rakitt, from Marietta, Ga., defeated Wesley Barrett, 6-2, 6-1.
But the Monarchs, led by former Tech assistant Aljosa Piric, rallied back when Danta Terenzio defeated Tech freshman Garrett Gordon, 7-6, 6-0, at No. 6, and Carlos Lopez Villa knocked off the Yellow Jackets’ top player, Juan Spir, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1.
The match was in the hands of Hundal and senior Juan Melian, who both appeared headed to third sets after winning the first set of their matches at No. 3 and 2. Hundal took matters into his own hands, breaking Kuwert’s serve twice to complete his win in straight sets for the Jackets.
“We came out pretty strong in doubles today, all three of them were pretty solid,” said Tech coach Kenny Thorne. “Then we clinched the match in singles without our two seniors. That’s a good position for our underclassmen to be in, and against a rapidly improving program in Old Dominion. Aljosa is doing a fine job with that team. Honored to get our first win in our new facility,”
Tech got the doubles point easily, with Melian and Rakitt taking an 8-3 win at No. 2 over Ochagavia and Kuwert, while Gordon and Segura knocked off the 34th-ranked team of Barrett and Schweig. Spir and Hundal, the No. 3-ranked team in the nation, fell behind 4-1 in their match against Lopez Villa and Cetinel at No. 1, but rallied for an 8-6 win and a doubles sweep for the Yellow Jackets.
Tech hosts Lipscomb in the nightcap of Friday’s double-header at 7 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
Old Dominion vs Georgia Tech
Jan 18, 2013 at Atlanta, Ga.
#59 Georgia Tech 5, Old Dominion 2
Singles competition
1. Carlos Lopez Villa (ODU) def. #32 Juan Spir (GT) 6-4, 6-4
2. Juan Melian (GT) def. Albert Ochagavia (ODU) 7-6, 1-6, 6-1
3. Vikram Hundal (GT) def. Jonas Kuwert (ODU) 7-6, 7-5
4. Eduardo Segura (GT) def. Zvonimir Podvinski (ODU) 6-0, 6-4
5. Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. Wesley Barrett (ODU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Dante Terenzio (ODU) def. Garrett Gordon (GT) 7-6, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #3 Juan Spir/Vikram Hundal (GT) def. #23 Carlos Lopez Villa/Can Cetinel (ODU) 8-6
2. Juan Melian/Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. Albert Ochagavia/Jonas Kuwert (ODU) 8-3
3. Garrett Gordon/Eduardo Segura (GT) def. #34 Wesley Barrett/Tim Schweig (ODU) 8-3
Match Notes:
Old Dominion 0-1; Georgia Tech 1-0 (National ranking #59)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,4,6,1,3,2)
Match played indoors
