GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T men's tennis played some competitive matches against its crosstown rival on Thursday, but could not avoid the shutout as the Spartans defeated the Aggies 7-0 at the UNCG Tennis Courts.
The Aggies endured their first 7-0 loss of the season, dropping to 10-6. UNCG improved to 5-11 on the season.
The match began with UNCG securing a strong win at No. 2 doubles, as William Elmers and Hector Nissen defeated the A&T duo of senior
Mathieu Dussaubat and freshman
Niklas Laux. Continuing the doubles play, the No. 1 duo of sophomore
Jindrich Brill and junior
Kaua Santos, who have been difficult to overcome all season, gave the UNCG team of John Gabelic and Devon Moskowitz a tough challenge. However, the Spartans ultimately prevailed 6-4 to clinch the doubles point.
Momentum continued as freshmen
Illia Olefir and
Ben Werle tried to preserve one win for A&T in doubles. However, Tymofiy Khrystyuk and Eric Lindemann outlasted the Aggies' youthful duo 7-6 to secure the doubles sweep. With doubles concluded, A&T entered No. 1 singles with Brill playing the position instead of the usual No. 1, Santos. Brill dropped to 1-1 as the Aggies' No. 1 following a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Khrystyuk.
The lineup changes continued as Werle played his first match as the Aggies' No. 3 singles player, losing to Moskowitz 6-3, 6-0. He is now 3-4 this season, including a 2-2 record as the No. 6 singles player. Meanwhile, Santos moved to the No. 2 spot for just the second time this season, where he also fell to Gabelic, 6-4, 6-4. He is now 1-1 as the No. 2 singles player and holds a 10-3 overall record.
UNCG's win at No. 2 clinched the match for the Spartans, but the match continued into No. 4 singles, where Nissen defeated Olefir 6-4, 6-3. The Aggies closed with a competitive spirit in the final two matches. Dussaubat took Elmers to three sets, winning the first 6-3. Elmers went on to win the final two sets, 6-3, 6-2. Linovic also had a three-setter. He also won his first set, beating Frafjord 6-4. But he lost 7-5 in the second set and Frafjord took the third set 1-0.
The Aggies get another tough opponent on Tuesday when they travel to Farmville, Va., to face the Longwood Lancers in a 3 p.m. match at New Lancer Court.
