Martin, Dunlap Pick Up First Collegiate Wins as Gardner-Webb Sweeps Brevard 7-0 on the Road Thursday
March 01, 2012 | Men's Tennis
Brevard, N.C. - The Runnin' Bulldogs saw a pair of freshmen win their first collegiate matches Thursday, winning every match played en route to a 7-0 overall victory at Brevard in men's tennis action.
With the win, GWU improves to 4-7 (0-1 Big South) this season. Brevard drops to 2-3 on the year.
All nine Runnin' Bulldogs earned at least one win during Thursday's match, and three went 2-0 for the day with wins in both doubles and singles competition. Joao Poli (Londrina, Brazil) teamed with fellow freshman Brendan Dempsey (Dublin, Ireland) to win 8-1 at No. 3 doubles over Brevard's pairing of Jonathon Lavelle/George Finch. Poli also earned a win at No. 3 singles, defeating the Tornadoes' Rory Northam 6-2, 6-3.
Also earning multiple wins for GWU Thursday were Matthew Parker (Marietta, Ga.) and Ernest Alberch (Torello, Spain). The pair won at No. 2 doubles by an 8-2 margin over Northam and Stefano Giovanolli. Alberch outlasted Brevard's Beau Wills at No. 2 singles 6-3, 6-4, and Parker cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Rob Havens at No. 6.
Junior Roman Piftor (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) earned his first win at the No. 1 singles position, improving his season record to 7-4 with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 win over Brevard's Sam MacNeil.
Freshmen Stephen Martin (Bray, Ireland) and Blake Dunlap (Mooresville, N.C.) each won the first singles matches of their careers Thursday. Martin ran away with a 6-1, 6-0 decision over Giovanolli at No. 4.Dunlap picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win over Finch at the No. 5 position in his first singles match as a Runnin' Bulldog.
The No. 1 doubles pair of Korhan Ates (Istanbul, Turkey) and Adam Knutsson-Sundblad (Gothenburg, Sweden) picked up their third doubles win on the year, defeating Brevard's tandem of MacNeil/Wills by a score of 8-3.
GWU returns to action tomorrow, facing Anderson on the road. The match is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start time.
Match Results - GWU 7, Brevard 0
Doubles
1. Korhan Ates/Adam Knutsson-Sundblad (GWU) def. Sam MacNeil/Beau Wills (BC) 8-3
2. Ernest Alberch/Matt Parker (GWU) def. Rory Northam/Stefano Giovanolli (BC) 8-2
3. Brendan Dempsey/Joao Poli (GWU) def. Jonathon Lavelle/George Finch (BC) 8-1
Singles
1. Roman Piftor (GWU) def. Sam MacNeil (BC) 4-6, 6-3, 10-6
2. Ernest Alberch (GWU) def. Beau Wills (BC) 6-3, 6-4
3. Joao Poli (GWU) def. Rory Northam (BC) 6-2, 6-3
4. Stephen Martin (GWU) def. Stefano Giovanolli (BC) 6-1, 6-0
5. Blake Dunlap (GWU) def. George Finch (BC) 6-3, 6-2
6. Matt Parker (GWU) def. Rob Havens (BC) 6-0, 6-1
