Complete Results
MOBILE, Ala. - After securing the doubles point, the 58th-ranked University of South Alabama men’s tennis team won four matches in three sets to top Winthrop 6-1 Saturday at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts.
The Jaguars are now 3-0 in home matches this spring and 8-7 overall. The Eagles drop to 3-8.
“Our goal was to learn from our last match,” said USA head coach Nick Brochu. “We didn’t have a fast start in doubles against Nicholls so that’s what we were working on today.”
USA picked up a quick win on the No. 3 court when senior Cody Hall (Albuquerque, N.M.) and freshman Juan Troglia (Mendoza, Argentina) downed Ivar Aramburu and Yuta Hirokawa 8-4. Senior Alex Bernard (Soisy Sur Seine, France) and sophomore Blake Gregor (Griffith, New South Wales, Australia) followed with a 9-8 (7-3) victory over Dylan Comerford and Juan Pablo Boada at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point.
“Our No. 3 doubles closed their match pretty easily to get us on the board with that first win,” said Brochu. “I was happy with the doubles, but I would have liked to have a little more energy. We still have to work on that.”
In singles action, Boada put the Eagles on the board when he defeated Gregor 6-4, 6-3 in the No. 6 flight. Hall answered with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 win over Michael Chen at No. 5 to give the Jags a 2-1 lead.
Freshman Gerhard Gruindelingh (Pretoria, South Africa) topped Peter Nagovnak in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) on the No. 3 court. Sophomore Daniel Leitner (Niederfischbach, Germany) outlasted Comerford 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 at the No. 1 spot to secure the win for South Alabama.
“We had a lot of guys going up in the first set and losing in the second set, but we were able to refocus,” said Brochu. “It’s always hard when you’re winning and the other guy comes back and all of a sudden you’re trailing. Gerhard and Daniel did a good job of staying focused today.”
Troglia needed three sets to edge Hirokawa 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the No. 4 flight. Bernard closed out the day with 7-5, 6-7 (1-7), (10-4) win over Aramburu at No. 2.
“We need to learn to stay aggressive once we get the first break and not sit back,” said Brochu. “We have to learn to keep applying the pressure and getting the second break immediately, not being satisfied with just one break.”
South Alabama returns to action Monday against South Florida at 11 a.m. CDT.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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