WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Despite the North Carolina A&T men's tennis team seeing its season end on Thursday morning, program history was still made. The Aggies lost 4-2 to the College of Charleston during the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Men's Tennis Tournament Championship opening round at William & Mary's Mackesy Tennis Center.
The men's tennis program now has two men with 47 singles wins, however. Graduate Esteban Lopez ended his remarkable career by defeating Charleston's Mattia Bernadi 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles. It marked his 47th career win, tying him with former teammate Vasil Ivanov for most singles wins in program history.
Before Lopez's historic match, the Aggies lost the doubles point to start the match. Freshman Said Akbarov and junior Ian Pedersen got A&T started in the right direction with a win at No. 2 doubles over the Charleston combo of Matias Gaedenchens and Jaun Die Rojas Mora 6-1. Pedersen and Akbarov finished with the best doubles record on the team at 13-4. They also finished the season on a four-match winning streak.
Charleston evened the doubles series at No. 3 doubles. Brolin Dorsey and Zac Larke defeated A&T sophomore Mathieu Dussaubat and Aggie freshman Kaua Santos 6-4. That left the doubles point in the hands of Lopez and freshman Lucas Coupo-Moison at No. 1 doubles. It was a tough battle, but Charleston's Mattia Bernardi and Eddie Vo defeated the Aggies No. 1 duo, 7-5.
Vo gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead by winning at No. 4 singles over Pedersen, 6-1, 6-2. Pedersen finished the season at 14-4, including 10-0 at No. 3 singles. He is 29-11 in his career. Charleston took a 3-0 lead after Rojas Mora beat Dussaubat 7-5, 6-0 at No. 6 singles. The Aggies stayed alive in the match thanks to Akbarov's 6-2, 6-1 win over Gaedechens at No. 3 singles.
Lopez's historic win got the Aggies to within one at 3-2. Lopez's career ended with a 47-26 record, primarily at No. 1 singles. He is A&T's all-time leader in No. 1 singles wins. He had a 23-19 record as a doubles player.
But A&T's season concluded at 15-5 as Coupo-Moison lost a tight first set to Larke 7-6, 7-3 in the tiebreaker before winning the second set 6-4. Coupo-Moison had an outstanding first season as an Aggie, finishing 13-4. Santos did not finish his match at No. 5 singles, with the match ending in the third set. Santos took the first set 6-4 before losing the second set 6-0. He led 5-4 in the third when the match was called. Charleston advances to face UNC Wilmington on Friday morning at 9.
