BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | South Alabama got back in the win column Friday afternoon, with a strong 5-2 win over Samford in Birmingham.
South took an early lead in doubles, winning at number two, with the duo Sebastien Collard and
Steyn Dippenaar beating beating Santiago Arredondo and Harrison Williams 6-1. South secured the doubles point with a win at number three, with
Martin Bugaj and
Juan Accossatto beating Darcy Nicholls and Will Gray of Samford 6-4.
South, with all the momentum, extended its lead to 2-0 with a dominant win at number two from
Maxime St-Hilaire, beating J.B. Pickard of the Bulldogs 6-1, 6-3. Samford cut into the South lead with a win at number three, where Sandeep Mohandoss defeated
Jack Clements 6-3, 6-2.
The Jaguars were able to extend the lead to 3-1 thanks to win at number one, where #123 Sebastien Collard beat Maxwell Giddens 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Martin Bugaj clinched the match with a big win at number four, beating Santiago Arredondo 6-3, 6-2.
Javier Montoya then got a win at number five to extend South's lead to 5-1, beating Will Gray 6-2, 6-3.
Samford got a win at number six to close out the match, with Darcy Nicholls beating
Steyn Dippenaar 7-5, 6-3.
South stays in Birmingham through the weekend, taking on UAB Saturday at 10 a.m.
Match Results
February 3, 2023
3 pm – Birmingham, Ala.
Singles
1. Sebastien Collard (USA) def. Maxwell Giddens (SAMM) 6-4, 7-6 (3)
2.
Maxime St-Hilaire (USA) def. J.B. Pickard (SAMM) 6-1, 6-3
3. Sandeep Mohandoss (SAMM) def.
Jack Clements (USA) 6-3, 6-2
4.
Martin Bugaj (USA) def. Santiago Arredondo (SAMM) 6-3, 6-2
5.
Javier Montoya (USA) def. Will Gray (SAMM) 6-2, 6-3
6. Darcy Nicholls (SAMM) def.
Steyn Dippenaar (USA) 7-5, 6-3
Doubles
1. Maxwell Giddens/Sandeep Mohandoss (SAMM) vs.
Jack Clements/
Maxime St-Hilaire (USA) 5-5, unfinished
2. Sebastien Collard/
Steyn Dippenaar (USA) def. Santiago Arredondo/Harrison Williams (SAMM) 6-1
3.
Martin Bugaj/
Juan Accossatto (USA) def. Will Gray/Darcy Nicholls (SAMM) 6-4
Quotable from coach Nick Brochu
"Good win. We played indoors, which was extremely loud. They had a good crowd; it was very tough to play. In doubles, the guys couldn't even hear each other talk on what they wanted to do between points. It was a tough atmosphere, but I thought we did a good job at handling it. Number two played great. We had a great start and maintained the pressure on and closed it. Number one was a back and forth, while number three was a slow start. Martin played great. He was a great leader today. He was able to come up with big points and he showed leadership.
In singles, even though we were winning in most matches, Samford was being very loud and very aggressive, and they didn't back down, they made it a big fight even thought we were winning on most courts. We played indoors on just three courts, so you don't get the same feel as if you all play at the same time. Number one was a battle, I think we got a little nervous because it was much closer than we expected. Max just keeps being dominant at number two, he keeps taking his opponents down. He plays great offense and defense. Jack had a bad day, he needs to regroup. Javy and Martin just dominated right from the get-go, I am very proud of them, they were able to go in there and focus and win. Steyn played well but was extremely nervous and it showed. He played a close match, he's got to learn to relax, but we saw some good things. Overall, it's a win but we've got to learn to relax and learn to capitalize when we have chances, that's what was lacking today."
Up Next
South Alabama takes on UAB Saturday at 10 a.m.
Follow the Jags
For complete coverage of University South Alabama men's tennis, follow the Jaguars on social media @SouthAlabamaJaguars (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaMTN (Facebook), @southalabamamtn (Instagram) or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at USAJaguars.com.
