Bulldogs Drop Bears, 4-3
March 23, 2007 | Men's Tennis
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Bulldogs held off the surging Bears of Mercer University to win the A-Sun conference match 4-3, giving the 'Dogs their fourth straight victory and improving GWU to 4-2 in league play.
The Bulldogs pounced on the Bears early, taking two of the three doubles bouts to win the doubles point and an early 1-0 lead. Freshman Evgeny Slesareve and senior Gabe Veiga cruised past Mercer's team of Tobias Ohrstrom and Patrick Russo, taking the match at the No. 1 doubles spot, 8-2. Sealing the doubles point for the 'Dogs were veterans Taylor Ferrier and Kim Ellis, who defeated the Bear's Nathan Starr and Matthew Poleon 8-4 at the No. 2 slot.
In singles action, senior co-captains Ellis and Veiga extended the lead to 3-0 after scoring wins in their matches in straight sets. Ellis dropped Russo of Mercer, 6-2, 6-2, at the No. 3 slot, while Veiga coasted past the Bear's Starr at the No. 4 position, winning 6-2, 6-1. The win was Veiga's nineth straight victory in singles play.
Yet the Bear's pulled to within one point of the 'Dogs as they took the next two matches- No. 5 and No. 1- to make the score 3-2.
Yet freshman Rafael Altmeyer came up big once again for the 'Dogs, as he fought back from a 4-0 deficit in the third set, to take the third set tiebreaker 7-5 and the third set 7-6, defeating Chapman Mitchell of Mercer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), clinching the win for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs improve to 8-9 overall and 4-2 in conference play with the win on Friday.
The men's tennis match originally scheduled for Sunday, March 25, versus UT-Chatanooga has been cancelled due to a conflict of times, making the Bulldogs next match on Monday, March 26, against the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. That match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in Boone, N.C.
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Gardner-Webb 4, Mercer 3
Doubles
1. Slesarev/ Veiga (GWU) def. Ohrstrom/ Russo (MER) - 8-2
2. Taylor Ferrier/ Ellis (GWU) def. Starr/ Poleon (MER) - 8-4
3. Gil/ Mitchell (MER) def. Vasques/ Van Rensburg (GWU) - 8-5
Singles
1. Tobias Ohrstrom (MER) def. Evgeny Slesarev (GWU) - 0-6, 6-2, 6-1
2. Mario Gil (MER) def. Roberto Vasques (GWU) - 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7)
3. Kim Ellis (GWU) def. Patrick Russo (MER) - 6-2, 6-2
4. Gabe Veiga (GWU) def. Nathan Starr (MER) - 6-2, 6-1
5. Matthew Poleon (MER) def. Grant Van Rensburg (GWU) - 6-4, 6-4
6. Rafael Altmeyer (GWU) def. Chapman Mitchell (MER) - 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
