LYNCHBURG, Va. - For the first time in program history, The Guilford College men's tennis team came up just short against Randolph College, falling 4-3 on Saturday afternoon, ending GC's 17-game win streak in their all-time series.
The Quakers (1-2, 1-1 ODAC) opened the match with strong doubles play, taking two of the three contests to earn the first point. At No. 1 doubles, the duo of
Andres Mercedes (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and
Brandon Hermes (West Hartford, Conn.) dominated Jacob Martin and Ondra Pelda, securing a convincing 6-1 victory. On court three,
Evan Wong (Greensboro, N.C.) and
Rylan Tuten (Asheville, N.C.) delivered another win for Guilford, defeating Carlos Haupt and Jason Duval, 6-3. However, Randolph ( 2-0, 1-0 ODAC) salvaged a critical win at No. 2 doubles, as Vincenzo and Andreas Mulner edged
Henry Austin (Winterville, N.C.) and
Emmanuel Oye (Clayton, N.C.), 7-5, to prevent the Quakers from sweeping the session
Leading 1-0 heading into the singles, GC looked to maintain their hot start but face stiff competition from the WildCats. Mercedes continued his strong form at No.1 singles, dispatching Martin in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. The Quakers, however, encountered trouble down the lineup. Hermes fell in a tough #2 singles bout against Mulner, dropping a 6-0, 7-6 decision. At flight #5, Wong put up a fight but was outlasted by Lukas Rathgeb, 6-1, 7-6 setting the stage for a decisive final contest. In the No. 6 slot, Oye took the first set over Duval but struggled to maintain momentum, falling 6-2, 2-6, 3-6 as Randolph clinched the narrow victory.
The men's tennis team will look to regroup as they prepare for their next conference matchup versus Washington and Lee University at home on March 1st. Start time is set for 1 PM.
#GoQuakes
