PENSACOLA, Fla. – In the season-opening match for both schools, the No. 9 West Florida men’s tennis team (1-0, 1-0 GSC) dispatched Gulf South Conference rival West Alabama (0-1, 0-1 GSC) 9-0 in Pensacola, Fla. The Argonauts did not drop a match against the Tigers.
In the first doubles spot, the team of Patrick Bateman (sophomore/Apopka, Fla.) and Luis Arboleda (senior/Medellin, Colombia) defeated James Garner and Lucas Cruz 8-4. In the second spot Argonauts Kevin Ducros (freshman/Aix-en-Provence, France) and Sean Gunnels (freshman/Mobile, Ala.) defeated Benny Delgado Rochas and Danish Ahmad 8-1. Andrey Pozhidaev (freshman/Sochi, Russia) and Mike Lue (freshman/Ontario, Canada) only dropped two games against Tigers Renat Shaykhelislamov and Carlin Tighe, to give UWF a 3-0 lead entering singles play.
Playing in the first singles spot, Ducros defeated Gardner 6-2, 6-0 in his first singles match as an Argonaut. In the second spot, Pozhidaev beat Cruz with a 6-2, 6-0 score. Bateman played in the third position and defeated Delgado Rochas 6-0, 7-5. In the fourth singles spot, Arboleda dispatched Shaykhelislamov with a 6-3, 6-3 win. Gunnels rallied from a set down to defeat Ahmad 2-6, 6-1, 7-5. Jose Ycaza (senior/Guayaquil, Ecuador) only played singles and did not have trouble defeating Tighe 6-2, 6-0 to close out the 9-0 match for the Argonauts.
The Argonauts have a tough schedule ahead, in which they will next face defending national champions and top ranked Armstrong-Atlantic (3-0) this Saturday, February 14th. The Argonauts will face the Pirates at a neutral site in Tifton, Ga. at 10a.m. ET. For information on all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.
Singles
#1 Kevin Ducros (UWF) vs. James Gardner (UWA) 6-2, 6-0
#2 Andrey Pozhidaev (UWF) def. Lucas Cruz (UWA) 6-2, 6-0
#3 Patrick Bateman (UWF) def. Benny Delgado Rochas (UWA) 6-0, 7-5
#4 Luis Arboleda (UWF) vs. Renat Shayklelislamov (UWA) 6-3, 6-3
#5 Sean Gunnels(UWF) def. Danish Ahmad (UWA) 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
#6 Jose Ycaza (UWF) def. Carlin Tighe (UWA) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles
#1 Bateman/Arboleda (UWF) def. Cruz/Gardner (UWA) 8-4
#2 Ducros/Gunnels (UWF) def. Delgado Rochas/Ahmad (UWA) 8-1
#3 Pozhidaev/Mike Lue (UWF) def. Shaykhelislamov/Tighe (UWA) 8-2
