Young Trojans Squad Drops Match to NC State at Kick-Off Classic

Friday, January 28

Gainesville, FL

1:00 p.m. (EST)

Troy University

(57) North Carolina State University

Young Trojans Squad Drops Match to NC State at Kick-Off Classic

1/28/2011 3:46:09 PM | Tennis (M)

The Trojans sent four of six freshmen out on the court for the match Friday afternoon

By: Travis Jarome

Box Score | Box Score (.pdf)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 62nd-ranked Troy University men's tennis team put a young squad on the court against 57th-ranked North Carolina State University Friday afternoon in the first match of the Kick-Off Classic. Playing four of six freshmen against the Wolfpack, Troy fell 4-0 to fall into the consolation match this weekend.

Troy (0-2) was forced to play the younger players when number two singles player and top doubles specialist, Anas Rouchdi, was forced to sit out the match for a violation of team rules.

The Wolfpack took the doubles point when they claimed victories at number one and number three doubles. The team of Dominic Hodgson and Julian Sullivan defeated the Trojans' Niklas Jonsson and Mario Rolemberg at number one, 8-5; while the team of Ivan Sanchez-Gomez and Sean Weber defeated the Trojans' team of Jamie Eccleton and Branko Weber, 8-6 to claim to the point.

The only other match in doubles was at number two where the NC State team of Jamie Pulgar and Dave Thomson led the Trojans' team of Mansingh Athare and Sami Ghorbel, 7-3, when they doubles was halted.

In singles play, NC State (3-2) claimed victories at the top three positions to win the overall match. At number one, 61st-ranked Jamie Pulgar defeated Branko Weber 6-3, 6-3; while at number three; 106th-ranked Dave Thomson defeated Troy's Niklas Jonsson 7-5, 6-3. The match was clinched for NC State when 82nd-ranked Dominic Hodgson defeated Troy's Sami Ghorbel at number two singles 6-2, 6-3.

Although the match was halted with just three singles matches completed, the Trojans led two of the other matches. Senior Mario Rolemberg led NC State's Rafael Paez at number four singles 6-3, 0-5 when play was stopped.

Meanwhile, at number six, freshman Mansingh Athare had match point when the play was halted. He led NC State's Akash Gujarati 6-3, 5-3 when the match was stopped.

The Trojans now face 61st-ranked UC-Santa Barbara in the final match of the regional, after they fell to seventh-ranked Florida 4-0 in the opening match of the tournament.

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