FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-11-07
Men's Tennis: No. 7 AASU 6, No. 1 Valdosta State 3
Women's Tennis: No. 2 AASU 5, No. 13 Valdosta State 4
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Armstrong Atlantic State men’s tennis team knocked off top-ranked and defending NCAA II national champion Valdosta State on Saturday afternoon, 6-3, completing a dual match sweep of the visiting Blazers at the AASU Tennis Complex.
The No. 7-ranked Pirates (4-0) won two of three doubles matches, then took four of the six singles matches for the win, the third win for AASU already this season over a top 10-ranked club. Taavo Roos and Davor Zink picked up an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles over Joerg Ekkenga and Thomas Provost, while Paul Bishop and Henrik Lilja defeated Benjamin Cattan and Michael Millner, 8-5, at No. 3 doubles to give AASU the edge heading into singles.
There, the Pirates picked up quick wins at No. 1 singles by Bishop over Ekkenga, 6-3, 6-4, and Lilja over Millner, 6-2, 7-5, at No. 6 singles. AASU then got two three-set wins at No. 4 and 5 singles as Roos defeated Cattan, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Christian Bergh defeated Dominik Hansen, 6-2, 6-7, 6-0.
On the women’s side, the Lady Pirates (5-0) struggled against the Lady Blazers, dropping two of three doubles matches, but coming back to win four of six singles matches for the win. Martina Beckmann rallied from a one-set, 2-0 deficit to defeat Sonya Haggstrom, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, for the match winner.
The Pirates next travel to Valdosta State for a doubleheader match against nationally-ranked West Florida and PBC foe Georgia Southwestern.
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Singles
1. Paul Bishop (AASU0 def. Joerg Ekkenga (VSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. Leos Jelinek (VSU) def. Davor Zink (AASU) 7-6, 6-4
3. Thomas Provost (VSU) def. Robert Jendelund (AASU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Taavo Roos (AASU) def. Benjamin Cattan (VSU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Christian Bergh (AASU) def. Dominik Hansen (VSU) 6-2, 6-7, 6-0
6. Henrik Lilja (AASU) def. Michael Millner (VSU) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
1. Hansen/Jelinek (VSU) def. Bergh/Jendelund (AASU) 8-5
2. Roos/Zink (AASU) def. Ekkenga/Provost (VSU) 8-6
3. Bishop/Lilja (AASU) def. Cattan/Millner (VSU) 8-5
Records: AASU 4-0, VSU 1-2
Singles
1. Iuliia Stupak (AASU) def. Raphaelle Durante (VSU) 6-0, 6-0
2. Dziyana Nazaruk (AASU) def. Dominique Rothlaender (VSU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Johanna Dahlback (AASU) def. Anne Corten (VSU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Natali Gumbrecht (VSU) def. Gabriella Kovacs (AASU) 6-0, 6-4
5. Martina Beckmann (AASU) def. Sonya Haggstrom (VSU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
6. Karine Redon (VSU) def. Alisa Kakugina (AASU) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. Nazaruk/Stupak (AASU) def. Rothlaender/Corten (VSU) 8-5
2. Durante/Redon (VSU) def. Beckmann/Kovacs (AASU) 8-3
3. Gumbrecht/Haggstrom (VSU) def. Dahlback/Kakugina (AASU) 9-7
Records: AASU 5-0, VSU 1-2
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