THE FLATS – Georgia Tech men’s tennis picked up another victory on Friday evening as the Yellow Jackets defeated Georgia State, 4-1, at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
In the first of three matches in The Flats this weekend, Tech (4-2) battled throughout the entire match with the Panthers as the Jackets went 4-0 in singles play.
“Credit to Georgia State on playing well and putting us in a hole early,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “I felt like we were fighting ourselves a bit too much early in the match. We knew our game plans and were focused but it took too long to settle into our competitive mindsets. Once we did then the match totally changed and we were able to play the way we needed.”
The Panthers won two straight in doubles, 6-2, 6-4, to start the match off with a lineup that included the the No. 41-ranked duo of Andrei Duarte and Roberts Grinvalds
Down 1-0 after doubles play, Tech took advantage of the adversity in singles as McDaniel set the tempo for the rest of the evening topping Kevin Huynh in just two sets. The freshman won the first set, 6-3, and followed that up with a close win in the second, 7-5.
All six courts saw close match-ups almost the entire way through the competition. After McDaniel tied it up 1-1, freshman Keshav Chopra won two straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, after falling, 3-6, in the first against Lazo. From that point forward it was an absolute showcase by the Jackets. Another freshman and the No. 75 ranked singles player in the country, Andres Martin, led the way on court one finishing third in a 6-3 win in the third set over Quentin Coulaud.
Almost immediately after, sophomore Pablo Schelcher was able to clinch the victory for Tech. The Spanish-native was excellent during clutch time, defeating his opponent 6-4 in both of the final two sets. In addition, sophomore Cole Gromley was tied, 4-4, in the third set before his match-up was marked as unfinished.
“We still have lots to learn but there is also a lot of fight in these guys,” added Thorne. “We are looking forward to Auburn and Citadel on Sunday.”
The Jackets remain home as they host SEC foe Auburn and The Citadel on Sunday afternoon in a doubleheader at Ken Byers. The day is set to begin at 11 a.m.
RESULTS
Doubles competition
- #41 Duarte,Andrei/Grinvalds,Roberts (GSU) def. Pablo Schelcher/Marcus McDaniel (GT) 6-2
- Chris Yun/Carlos Divar (GT) vs. Coulaud,Quentin/Huynh,Kevin (GSU) 5-4, unfinished
- Showers,Bailey/Lazo,Patrick (GSU) def. Andres Martin/Keshav Chopra (GT) 6-4
Singles competition
- #75 Andres Martin (GT) def. Coulaud,Quentin (GSU) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
- Cole Gromley (GT) vs. Grinvalds,Roberts (GSU) 3-6, 6-3, 4-4, unfinished
- Pablo Schelcher (GT) def. Duarte,Andrei (GSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
- Marcus McDaniel (GT) def. Huynh,Kevin (GSU) 6-3, 7-5
- Chris Yun (GT) vs. Showers,Bailey (GSU) 4-6, 6-3, 2-5, unfinished
- Keshav Chopra (GT) def. Lazo,Patrick (GSU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Match Notes:
Georgia State 1-4 Georgia Tech 4-2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,6,1,3)
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and Athletics Initiative 2020, Georgia Tech athletics’ ongoing $125 million initiative to allow Tech to recruit the nation’s most elite student-athletes, build a better student-athlete once they arrive on The Flats and, ultimately, win! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org
