Jan. 18, 2013
THE FLATS – Eduardo Segura scored a three-set victory at No. 3 singles for the clinching point, and Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team captured a 4-3 victory over Lipscomb Friday night to complete a double-header sweep on its opening day at the new Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
The Yellow Jackets (2-0) defeated Old Dominion, 5-2, earlier in the day. As in the opening match, Tech’s underclass players did the heavy lifting in singles as sophomores Segura and Vikram Hundal, and freshman Nathan Rakitt earned victories to complement a doubles sweep.
Tech seniors Juan Spir and Juan Melian won their doubles matches against Lipscomb, but Spir was removed from singles due to illness and Melian retired with an ankle injury three games into his first set.
Tech swept the doubles point for the second time in as many matches, with the third-ranked team of Spir and Hundal defeating Oliver Strecker and David Salazar, 8-4, at No. 1. Melian and Rakitt earned their second win of the day, 8-6, over Stuart Tierney and Miguel Cortez at No. 2, to clinch the point, while Gordon and Colin Edwards completed the sweep, 8-6, over Daniel Hernandez and Tanner Brown, at No. 3.
With the rest of the lineup playing up a position in the lineup, Rakitt, Hundal and Segura came through with their second singles victories of the day. After Melian retired at No. 1 to help Lipscomb tie the match at 1-1, the Rakitt routed Brown, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 4 to put Tech back ahead, 2-1.
Tierney won a straight-set victory over Tech freshman Garrett Gordon at No. 5 to knot the match again, 2-2, but Hundal took a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Salazar at No. 2 to restore the Tech lead.
Segura and freshman Anish Sharma, inserted at No. 6 after Spir took ill, had both won their opening sets but lost the second, and were into their third sets by this time. Segura left nothing to chance and won his third set, 6-1, to clinch the match for the Yellow Jackets. The Bison’s John Tougher outlasted Sharma, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, after falling behind 4-1 in the third set.
Tech returns to action next weekend at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Los Angeles, Calif., a regional tournament featuring Fresno State, San Diego and Southern California.
Tennis Match Results
#59 Georgia Tech 4, Lipscomb 3
Jan 18, 2013 at Atlanta, Ga.
Singles competition
1. Oliver Strecker (LIP) def. Juan Melian (GT) 1-2, retired
2. Vikram Hundal (GT) def. David Salazar (LIP) 6-4, 6-4
3. Eduardo Segura (GT) def. Daniel Hernandez (LIP) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
4. Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. Tanner Brown (LIP) 6-1, 6-1
5. Stuart Tierney (LIP) def. Garrett Gordon (GT) 6-2, 6-4
6. John Tougher (LIP) def. Anish Sharma (GT) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #3 Juan Spir/Vikram Hundal (GT) def. Oliver Strecker/David Salazar (LIP) 8-4
2. Juan Melian/Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. Stuart Tierney/Miguel Cortez (LIP) 8-6
3. Garrett Gordon/Colin Edwards (GT) def. Daniel Hernandez/Tanner Brown (LIP) 8-6
Match Notes:
Lipscomb 0-1, Georgia Tech 2-0 (National ranking #59)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,4,5,2,3,6)
Match played indoors T-4:10
