The Georgia State men’s tennis team (4-1) opened up their season by wining four of their first five matches while the short-manned woman’s team (0-4) has dropped their first four.
The men’s team has looked sharp in the first few games of the year. The team came up victorious in the two of the three matches played over the weekend, sweeping Samford 7-0 on Saturday and North Georgia 7-0 on Sunday after dropping a match 1-4 to UAB Friday.
Sophomore Calvin Kemp (4-0) has been an early stand-out this season. Kemp went Saturday and Sunday without losing a set in singles play against Samford and North Georgia. He also earned the team’s only point against UAB on Friday.
Saturday’s matchup against Samford featured wins from freshman Victor Valente and junior Trenton Spinks.
Valente improved to 3-1 on the season in singles play with a 6-3, 7-6, straight-set victory at No. 1 for the Panthers.
Spinks was victorious in his first match of the season as he beat out Adam Witcher, 4-6, 7-5, 10-5, at No. 6 singles.
In Sunday’s matchup against North Georgia Kemp and Spinks won over Luciano Paes Cruz Neto and Daniel Aquilon 8-2. Freshman Lucas Santana and Valente also won a doubles match beating out Brandon Sloan and Parker Lasure 8-1.
The Panthers won all of their singles matches on Sunday in straight sets including freshman Juan Pablo Gutierrez. Gutierrez took out Andy McMaster 6-1, 6-0.
The # 57 ranked women’s tennis team dropped matches against Furman (3-4) Saturday and East Tennessee State (3-4) Sunday.
The under-staffed team has struggled to win much in part to forfeited points. The team has given up two points at every match this year, because the team has not had enough eligible players. The team has yet to play a No. 6 singles player or a No. 3 doubles team.
Sophomores Kri Kemp and the #42 ranked Diana Nakic were successful in singles play Saturday against Furman. Kemp earned her first win as a Panther by defeating Michele Stanford in straight sets (6-3, 6-3).
Georgia State also earned two doubles victories as Nakic and Sophomore Linda Hricstova won over Monica Arguello and Lauren Kiline 8-3 followed by junior Katerina Gresova and freshman Tereza Lerova’s 8-4 win over Jennifer Betts and Stanford.
On Sunday Nakic added to her perfect singles record by taking out Yevgnyia Stupak 6-4, 6-3. Nakic has not lost a singles set in the Panther’s first four matches. Lerova and Gresova picked up singles wins then teamed up to earn a doubles win at No. 2
Nakic and Hricstova dropped a doubles contest against Stupak and Kelly Holthausen 8-5. The forfeited points proved to be a factor once again as the Panthers came up short for the second time in two days.
The men’s team will be back in action Wednesday February 10 when they take on Oglethorpe. The women’s team will play again Friday February 12 against Mississippi State.
Tennis teams off to drastically different starts
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 11:02
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Georgia State’s tennis teams have had very different results in their initial games this year. Calvin Kemp
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Georgia State’s tennis teams have had very different results in their initial games this year. Linda Hricistova
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