MOBILE, Ala. ? The 26th-ranked South Alabama men’s tennis team closed the 2007 season with a 6-1 win over North Florida on a cold and blustery day. With the win, USA improves to 18-4 on the year, while the Ospreys fall to 12-8.
The match started with doubles and the Jags got good play from their Nos. 2 and 3 positions as juniors R.J. Nagel and Jack Baker won at No. 2 with an 8-1 decision over Yuiti Lopes and Andre Manje and clinched the team point with an 8-2 win at No. 3 by sophomore Craig Dunne and senior Dias Doskarayev who was playing his final match of his career at Bruce David Lubel Memorial Courts.
UNF won at the top spot as Leonardo Gomes and Javier Ferrin posted an 8-1 win over sophomore Marek Sramek and junior Robert Hodel.
Singles play began with Dunne posting a 6-1, 6-1 win over Glen Marshall at the No. 5 position, putting the Jags up 2-0. No. 41 Sramek cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 3 for a 3-0 team lead.
The Jaguars clinched the match as Doskarayev won 6-4, 6-4 over Eduardo Pereira at the top spot. Baker posted a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 2 to put USA up 5-0 and Nagel won at No. 6, 6-4, 6-4, for a 6-0 lead. Hodel won the first set of his match, 7-6, but lost the second 6-2. He had to retire in the third set tied 2-2.
The Jaguars now head to the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Championship in Denton, Texas beginning next Friday. USA will learn who it will play on Wednesday. The winner of the conference tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament beginning May 11.
