QUEENS, N.Y. – Freshman Francisco Dias defeated nationally ranked Vasko Mladenov in the No. 1 singles match, and the duo of Dias and senior Ugur Atalay earned a No. 1 doubles victory, but the George Washington men’s tennis team could not overcome St. John’s, falling 4-2 Saturday afternoon at the United States Tennis Association National Tennis Center.
The Red Storm remains unbeaten at 4-0 on the year, while the Colonials fall to 3-6. Dias and Atalay were the only Colonials to earn singles and doubles victories.
Dias got on the board with a straight-set victory over Mladenov, ranked No. 29 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, by scores of 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) at No. 1 singles. Atalay earned a thrilling come-from-behind match over Milo Hauk at the No. 2 spot, which saw three tiebreakers, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3).
In the third flight, junior Alexander van Gils fell to Ilija Vucic, 7-5, 6-4. Senior Richard Blumenfeld was defeated, 6-1, 6-1, by Mike Lampa in the No. 4 match, and sophomore Viktor Svensson fell in three sets to Stefan Bojic, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, at No. 5. Freshman Mike Kachkar’s No. 6 match with Matty Najfeld was midway through the second set at 6-3, 3-4, but the match was stopped once St. John’s secured the victory.
In No. 1 doubles play, Dias and Atalay teamed up to earn an 8-5 victory over Bojic and Vucic.
The duo of Blumenfeld and Kachkar dropped an 8-1 decision to Mladenov and Valentin Mihai in the No. 2 match, and Svensson and van Gils fell to Hauk and Lampa, 8-5, in the third flight.
GW returns to action on Saturday, March 3, at UNC-Wilmington in Wilmington, N.C. The match is set for 1 p.m.
St. John's 4, George Washington 2
Singles competition
No. 1 – Francisco Dias (GWU) def. #29 Vasko Mladenov (STJ) – 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)
No. 2 – Ugur Atalay (GWU) def. Milo Hauk (STJ) – 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3)
No. 3 – Ilija Vucic (STJ) def. Alexander van Gils (GWU) – 7-5, 6-4
No. 4 – Mike Lampa (STJ) def. Richard Blumenfeld (GWU) – 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 – Stefan Bojic (STJ) def. Viktor Svensson (GWU) – 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
No. 6 – Matty Najfeld (STJ) vs. Mike Kachkar (GWU) – 6-3, 3-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
No. 1 – Dias/Atalay (GWU) def. Bojic/Vucic (STJ) – 8-5
No. 2 – Mladenov/Mihai (STJ) def. Blumenfeld/Kachkar (GWU) – 8-1
No. 3 – Hauk/Lampa (STJ) def. Svensson/van Gils (GWU) – 8-5