BLUEFIELD, WVa. – As each match passes, the historic nature of the North Carolina A&T men's tennis team's 2023 season becomes clearer. The Aggies improved to 12-0 on the season with a 6-1 win over the Bluefield State Blues at BSU Tennis Courts on Wednesday.
A&T already matched its modern-day program record of 12 wins last season. The Aggies are also guaranteed to put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in modern history.
The Aggies won the doubles point easily on Thursday with 6-1 wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles as two-time reigning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) men's player of the week, Esteban Lopez, and all-time program leader in wins, Vasil Ivanov defeated Teddy Razafindratsima and Juan De Frietas at No. 1.
Eder Blanco and Alex Martinez improved on the team's best doubles record (7-4) with their win over Merlin Mazalto and Jose Marquez. However, the Aggies could not sweep doubles as Ian Pedersen and Mathieu Dussaubat lost to Fernando Arguello and Fabian Avail-Torres 6-2.
Pedersen and Dussaubat recovered to win in singles. Pedersen improved to 11-1 on the season with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Marquez at No. 5 singles. Dussaubat is now 8-3 with a 6-3, 7-6 win against Agullo Diaz Munio at No. 6.
"I take the blame in the doubles because I missed some important shots and should have been there for Ian and the team," said Dussaubat. "I'm happy with the singles win because the courts were super fast, and that's not my favorite thing. I'm happy for the team because we went there and took care of business."
Ivanov earned his 43rd career win with his 6-2, 6-0 win over Avail-Torres at No. 4 singles. Meanwhile, Lopez won his sixth straight singles match with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Razafindratsima at No. 1. Lopez is 9-3 on the season as he earned his 29th career win.
A&T's only singles loss on the day came from No. 2 singles as Arguello defeated Martinez 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. But Blanco won convincingly at No. 3 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Mazalto.
"I was just playing tennis, destroying, and I went through him in about 45 minutes," said Blanco. "It was nothing special, I was playing some really good tennis doing the things I do in practice in the matches, and it works. I'm happy with the win and ready for the next matches."
The Aggies have eight regular-season matches remaining, with perhaps their toughest match upcoming. A&T travels to Wilmington, N.C., on April 11 to face the UNC Wilmington Seahawks at 2 p.m. The Seahawks are 11-5 on the season and have won seven straight. UNCW plays Florida State on Friday before A&T visits.
