Eagles Open Regular-Season Play With Ranked Middle Georgia State
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
CANTON, Ga. – Reinhardt tennis had its first serve of the year on Friday evening against Middle Georgia State, as both the sixth-ranked men and the women's squad hit the courts at BridgeMill Tennis Club to take on the Knights.
On the men's side, Middle Georgia State came into the matchup slotted right behind the Eagles in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll at No. 7, but the hometown squad jumped on top of the Knights in doubles (3-0) and cruised to a 6-1 decision in the season opener.
The Reinhardt women – full of a good mix of veteran leadership and strong young players – gave Middle Georgia State, the 10th-ranked team in the country, all it could handle in a narrow 4-3 defeat.
The teams of Artem Vasheshnikova/Martin Mendoza and Pau Pujadas/Federico Gomez both took their opening bouts in doubles play by the score of 6-1, while Sam Alexander was paired with Jordi Puig Molina on line two and came out victorious, 6-3.
In singles action, Mendoza took line two 6-3, 6-2 after the Knights grabbed a victory in the top pairing. He was then joined in the winning column by Puig Molina (3rd; 6-4, 6-3), Alexander (5th; 6-3, 7-6), Pujadas (6th; 3-6, 6-4, 6-2) and Gomez (4th; 3-6, 6-3, 7-6).
On the other side of the net, the Eagle women fought hard in doubles action before falling, 2-1. The duo of Glauka Carvajal/Ana Rodriguez came out on top, 6-1, in the top-seeded draw of doubles. Reinhardt almost earned another point in the No. 2 slot after Stephanie Fernandez and Tayla Kruger battled to the very end in a 7-6 loss.
Fernandez immediately bounced back, however, to win her No. 1 singles bout at 6-1, 6-1 to tie the match, and Carvajal gave her club a brief 3-2 advantage after holding down line three at 6-1, 6-2.
The Knights would then charge back and take back-to-back decisions at lines five and six to claim a narrow victory.
Both teams are back on the courts tomorrow against Xavier (La.) beginning at Noon.
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For more information on Reinhardt Men's Tennis, please click here, and Reinhardt Women's Tennis here.