STATESBORO, GA – The Georgia Southern men’s tennis team opened its 2009 dual match season Sunday afternoon (Feb. 1) with a dominating 6-1 victory over the Pirates of Hampton. The doubles point and five singles victories secured the first win of the season for the Eagles, while the Pirates dropped to 0-1.

“It was a good match overall,” said head coach Justin Miles. “There are some small things we have to work on this week, but it was a good match to get us ready for next week.”

The Eagles opened competition by claiming the doubles point to put them in the lead 1-0 before singles play began. The tandem of Gregory Bekkers and Philip Prins teamed up at the two seed to cruise to an 8-2 victory over Marcelo Reda and Quentin Logan. But Hampton quickly evened the playing field with a tiebreak decision at the three seed. Gellert Varga/Gabriel Groh defeated Justin Flynn/Alain Garrido, 9-8(4), to leave the fate of the doubles point to the one seed where Joris De Weerdt and Matthew Sands were facing off against Sung-Kwon Baek and Nicholas Hudson. The senior Eagle duo shined as they ousted the Pirates, 8-6, to clinch the doubles point for Georgia Southern.

With the 1-0 lead, Georgia Southern held the upper ground and never looked back during singles action. The Eagles quickly took a 2-0 advantage after Hudson retired at the two seed against Bekkers due to an injury. At the six seed, junior Flynn notched his first singles victory as an Eagle, crushing Logan in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. Moments later, freshman Edio Castanhel clinched the match for Georgia Southern at the five position after he dispatched Reda in a matching 6-0, 6-1 decision.

Senior De Weerdt and newcomer Garrido both added singles victories to the scoreboard for Georgia Southern. De Weerdt handed Baek a straight set defeat, 6-0, 6-1, while Garrido recorded a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Varga at the four seed. 

“We fought hard when we fell behind and we fought back to win it, in both singles and doubles,” said Miles.

Georgia Southern continues this four-match home streak next weekend when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, February 7, at 11 a.m.

Georgia Southern 6, Hampton 1

Doubles:
1. Joris De Weerdt/Matthew Sands (GSU) d. Sung-Kwon Baek/Nicholas Hudson (HU) 8-6*
2. Gregory Bekkers/Philip Prins (GSU) d. Marcelo Reda/Quentin Logan (HU) 8-2
3. Gellert Varga/Gabriel Groh (HU) d. Justin Flynn/Alain Garrido (HU) 9-8 (4)
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
*Clinched the doubles point

Singles:
1. Joris De Weerdt (GSU) d. Sung-Kwon Baek (HU) 6-0, 6-1
2. Gregory Bekkers (GSU) d. Nicholas Hudson (HU) 2-1 ret.
3. Gabriel Groh (HU) d. Matthew Sands (GSU) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (9)
4. Alain Garrido (GSU) d. Gellert Varga (HU) 6-3, 7-6 (3)
5. Edio Castanhel (GSU) d. Marcelo Reda (HU) 6-0, 6-1*
6. Justin Flynn (GSU) d. Quentin Logan (HU) 6-0, 6-1
Order of finish: 2, 6, 5, 1, 4, 3
*Clinched the match