Jonathan Walker Clinches, Gardner-Webb Ralles for 4-3 Home Win Over Wofford
February 28, 2014 | Men's Tennis
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Sophomore Jonathan Walker battled to clinch the match for Gardner-Webb at No. 6 singles, winning in three sets to help spur Gardner-Webb to a 4-3 home win against Wofford in non-conference men's tennis action on Thursday.
GWU (5-8) won its second straight thanks to late heroics by Walker (Elkin, N.C.), whose No. 6 match versus the Terriers' Bower was the last to finish Thursday afternoon at the Webb Tennis Complex.
With Wofford and Gardner-Webb tied at 3-3 and only No. 6 singles left to finish, Walker finished off a dramatic 4-6, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (4) win against Bower, letting the Runnin' Bulldogs walk away with a wild 4-3 home win.
The drama at No. 6 singles came after Wofford's Thompson won the final two sets to even the scoring after Gardner-Webb had taken a 3-2 lead. Thompson gave the Terriers a win at the No. 5 singles spot, holding off Pepe Batalla for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
The Terriers won the opening doubles point, getting 8-3 and 8-6 triumphs at No.'s 2 and 1 doubles, respectively, to gain a 1-0 lead entering singles play. Gardner-Webb responded with quick wins at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots.
At No. 2 singles, Nikita Zverkov (Moscow, Russia) held off Heffron in a 6-2, 6-3 win. At No. 3 singles, Ernest Alberch (Torello, Spain) pushed past Wofford's Keith for a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Galloway of Wofford won at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-3, but a resilient effort from Brendan Dempsey (Dublin, Ireland) earned him a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win at the No. 4 singles spot, setting up Walker's dramatic clincher at No. 6 singles.
Wofford jumped on top in doubles play when Galloway and Gotkowski took an 8-6 match against Zverkov/Alberch at the No. 1 spot. Poric/Heffron defeated GWU's A.J. Stillwell/Kaszás pairing, 8-3, at No. 2 doubles.
Dempsey teamed up with freshman Tyler Macy (Elkin, N.C.) for a No. 3 doubles win, as the Gardner-Webb duo controlled the match to win by an 8-1 margin.
The Runnin' Bulldogs face Brown in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday, March 1.
Results: GWU 4, Wofford 3
Doubles -
1. Galloway/Gotkowski (WOF) def. Zverkov/Alberch (GWU) 8-6
2. Poric/Heffron (WOF) def. A.J. Stillwell/Benjamin Kaszás (GWU) 8-3
3. Tyler Macy/Dempsey (GWU) def. Keith/Thompson (WOF) 8-1
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles -
1. Galloway (WOF) def. Kaszás (GWU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Nikita Zverkov (GWU) def. Heffron (WOF) 6-2, 6-3
3. Ernest Alberch (GWU) def. Keith (WOF) 6-1, 6-4
4. Brendan Dempsey (GWU) def. Gotkowski (WOF) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Thompson (WOF) def. Pepe Batalla (GWU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Jonathan Walker (GWU) def. Bower (WOF) 4-6, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (4)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
