March 7, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – – Sophomores Guillermo Gomez and Miguel Muguruza each notched singles wins but it wasn’t enough as the Georgia Tech men’s tennis team fell to Miami, 5-2, Saturday afternoon in Coral Gables, Fla.
“Guillermo and Miguel both had good wins in singles today, with Guillermo beating a player he lost to last year,” head coach Kenny Thorne said. “It wasn’t good enough for the team win, and therefore, the challenge is that we have to get more guys to step up against Florida State at home Monday.”
In doubles, freshman Kevin King and Doug Kenny set the pace early for the Jackets as the duo defeated Miami’s Christian Blocker and David Rosenfeld 8-4 to lead things off. The Hurricanes responded however taking the next two doubles on identical 8-5 wins by Daniel Vallverdu and Carl Sundberg over Gomez and sophomore Ryan Smith, and Keith Crowley and David Simon over sophomore Austin Roebuck and Muguruza to take the 1-0 lead.
Miami would clinch the win in singles, by winning three-straight matches at the No. 6, No. 3 and No. 2 positions. Kenny fell 6-3, 6-3 to Simon, while King lost to Rosenfeld, 6-2, 6-4, and sophomore Eliot Potvin to Blocker, 6-4, 6-1.
Gomez and Muguruza would then notch their wins but it was too little to late as the Canes’ had already clinched the match. Gomez, picked up his 21st win of the year, fifth in dual match play with a solid 7-6, 6-1 win over 27th-ranked Daniel Vallverdu of Miami. The match was between two former ACC Freshman of the Year honorees as Gomez won in 2008 and Vallverdu in 2006.
Muguruza’s win triumph came as a super-set win in the third, after the Wesley Chapel, Fla. native came from behind in his second-straight match for the 6-7, 6-2,10-3 take.
Tech (5-5) returns home for a match against No. 15 Florida State on Monday at 2:30 p.m. at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
