Men’s Tennis Ends Road Trek on High Note with Win Tuesday

Tuesday, February 26

Atlanta, Ga.

1:30 PM

Florida Atlantic

Georgia State

Photo by: JC Ridley/Owlpix.com

2/26/2019 9:08:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

ATLANTA – The Florida Atlantic University men's tennis team concluded a three-match road trip, taking a win in the final possible matchup for the clinching point over Georgia State Tuesday, 4-3.

Notables:

FAU (9-7) battled from behind, having lost doubles, even though the No. 1 combo of Jason Legall and Ignacio Garcia took their match, 6-4
Garcia knotted things up in singles, winning 6-4, 6-3 at No. 5
Alvaro Fernandez Horta pushed the Owls ahead with a No. 6 victory, 6-3, 6-4
Mehdi Laalej put the team a point away by winning at No. 3, 6-4, 6-3
After two singles points tied things up for GSU, it came down to No. 1
Legall won the first set, 6-3, but things went square again after set two. Finally, the sophomore put things away by taking the third set in extra points, 7-5

Quotable

Head Coach Ricardo Gonzalez

On Tuesday:
"What an amazing battle this was today. We win and lose as a whole, and today it was 100 percent a team effort. Today we beat a very good Georgia State team and I couldn't be any happier for our guys."

On his individuals:
"Jason Legall once again showed a lot of fight, grit, and heart throughout the match. He is such an amazing competitor. He is fun to watch and loves playing under pressure. He does a very good job maintaining his composure during these times. When he is playing confident and discipline tennis, he is really tough to beat.

"Mehdi Laalej is another phenomenal competitor who continues to get better and better by the day. He is so tough to beat and doesn't give away anything.

"Nachi (Ignacio Garcia) and Alvaro (Fernandez Horta) both had amazing energy in the bottom of the lineup and really did a great job staying focused and taking care of business. I am so happy with the way they played and competed.

"Gabriel (Sidney) had a tough battle against one of Georgia State's best competitors. I am extremely pleased with the way he played. He is really progressing with his game.

"Kirac (Bekisoglu) is one of the grittiest athletes out there. Today he was really hurting with a slight injury but you never hear him complain or make excuses. He is tough as nails.

"Thomas (Guy) is really stepping up and playing a big role for us in doubles this year. He is really progressing with his game and I am excited to continue to watch him grow.

"Luis (Fernandez Horta) is one of the best teammates out there. The support he gives his teammates during matches is extremely valuable. He is one selfless and caring person and has played a big role in our success this year."

Full Results:
FAU 4, Georgia State 3
Doubles
1. Jason Legall/Ignacio Garcia (FAU) def. Showers,Bailey/Padilha,Diego (GSU) 6-4
2. MacFarlane,Jack/Hussey,Giles (GSU) def. Gabriel Sidney/Mehdi Laalej (FAU) 6-3
3. Duarte,Andrei/Grinvalds,Roberts (GSU) def. Kirac Bekisoglu/Thomas Guy (FAU) 7-6 (7-5)

Singles
1. Jason Legall (FAU) def. Hussey,Giles (GSU) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
2. Grinvalds,Roberts (GSU) def. Kirac Bekisoglu (FAU) 6-3, 7-5
3. Mehdi Laalej (FAU) def. Subladze,Vazha (GSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Coulaud,Quentin (GSU) def. Gabriel Sidney (FAU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
5. Ignacio Garcia (FAU) def. Huynh,Kevin (GSU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Alvaro Fernandez Horta (FAU) def. Padilha,Diego (GSU) 6-3, 6-4

What's Next

This weekend, the Owls will have off of competition, but will return the next Saturday, March 9. The opponent will be George Washington, beginning at 11 a.m. that day at the FAU Tennis Complex, and will be the first of three days in a row the squad hosts a match.