FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-7-07

Men's Tennis: No. 3 AASU 5, No. 1 (NAIA) Auburn Montgomery 4
Women's Tennis: No. 2 AASU 8, No. 1 (NAIA) Auburn Montgomery 0

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Two top-ranked teams came to Savannah on Saturday afternoon and the Armstrong Atlantic State tennis teams were up to the challenge, sweeping Auburn Montgomery in a dual match at the AASU Tennis Complex.

The No. 2-ranked Lady Pirates (20-0) put its consecutive regular match win streak on the line against the undefeated and three-time defending NAIA champion Lady Senators, but it was all AASU in the matchup, 8-0. The Lady Pirates swept all three doubles matches, then won all five competed singles matches in straight sets. Top-ranked DII singles player Iuliia Stupak defeated No. 4-ranked Tereza Veverkova, 6-1, 7-6 (7) at No. 1 singles, while No. 12-ranked Johanna Dahlback defeated No. 2-ranked Kamila Dadakhodjaeva, 6-1, 4-0 retired at No. 2 singles. Dziyana Nazaruk, Gabriella Kovacs and Sofia Haggstrom also picked up singles wins as AASU extended its consecutive regular season match win streak to 87, handing the Lady Senators (21-1) their first loss of the season.

In the men’s match, Auburn Montgomery (15-2) quickly grabbed a 2-1 lead after doubles, picking up wins at No. 1 and No. 3 as Anton Brykalin and Daniel Plasa defeated Christian Bergh and Robert Jendelund, 8-4, as well as Timothy Mudrick and Alex Petropolous knocking off Henrik Lilja and Paul Bishop, 8-4. AASU’s only doubles point came from Davor Zink and Taavo Roos with an 8-4 win over Victor Sanakai Papi and Nikola Miskovic at No. 2 singles.

Taavo Roos picked up a singles win early for the Pirates (18-3), but Papi defeated Bergh to give the Senators a 3-2 lead. AASU rallied, winning three three-set matches – the deciding match coming at No. 2 singles where Paul Bishop won a third-set tiebreaker to defeat Plasa, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4) to clinch the match – the second top-ranked tennis team the Pirates have defeated this season. Earlier in the year, AASU knocked off then-No. 1 (DII) Valdosta State, 6-3, on February 17.       

The Pirates return to action on Sunday with a 10:00 a.m. match against Barton at the AASU Tennis Complex.

- Pirates –

Singles
1. Davor Zink (AASU) def. Anton Brykalin (AUM) 6-0, 3-6, 6-0
2. Paul Bishop (AASU) def. Daniel Plasa (AUM) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4)
3. Victor Sanakai Papi (AUM) def. Christian Bergh (AASU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Robert Jendelund (AASU) def. Alex Petropolous (AUM) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
5. Taavo Roos (AASU) def. Nikola Miskovic (AUM) 6-1, 5-1 retired
6. Timothy Mudrick (AUM) def. Henrik Lilja (AASU) 6-1, 6-4 

Doubles
1. Brykalin/Plasa (AUM) def. Bergh/Jendelund (AASU) 8-4
2. Roos/Zink (AASU) def. Sanakai Papi/Miskovic (AUM) 8-4
3. Mudrick/Petropolous (AUM) def. Bishop/Lilja (AASU) 8-4
Records: AASU (18-3), AUM (15-2)

Singles
1. Iuliia Stupak (AASU) def. Tereza Veverkova (AUM) 6-1, 7-6 (7)
2. Johanna Dahlback (AASU) def. Kamila Dadakhodjaeva (AUM) 6-1, 4-0 retired
3. Dziyana Nazaruk (AASU) def. Hannah Kuervers (AUM) 6-2, 6-1
4. Gabriella Kovacs (AASU) def. Yudeshnee Pillay (AUM) 6-2, 6-3
5. Sofia Haggstrom (AASU) def. Rachel Dunlavy (AUM) 6-2, 6-2
6. Alisa Kakugina (AASU) and Nadia Lysak (AUM) did not compete

Doubles
1. Stupak/Nazaruk (AASU) def. Veverkova/Kuervers (AUM) 8-6
2. Dahlback/Martina Beckmann (AASU) def. Dadakhodjaeva/Lysak (AUM) 8-2
3. Haggstrom/Kovacs (AASU) def. Pillay/Dunlavy (AUM) 8-4
Records: AASU (20-0), AUM (21-1) 

- Pirates -