GCU falls to Santa Clara 4-1 to end road trip

Sunday, February 26

Santa Clara, CA

10 AM

Grand Canyon

Santa Clara

2/26/2017 4:35:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: Samantha Fell

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – On the second day of a competitive two-game road trip in California, the Lopes dropped a 4-1 match to Santa Clara. GCU fell behind early in doubles competition and Santa Clara won three of four singles matches to clinch the victory. Grand Canyon's record falls to 7-5 while Santa Clara improves to 7-1 for the season.

"The guys lost a tough battle today," head coach Greg Prudhomme noted. "I was proud of their fight. The fourth and decisive point, which went to Santa Clara, was in the third set and the two matches that remained unfinished were also in the third set. It was definitely a competitive match."

Lorenzo Fucile won the lone match of the day for GCU. At No. 4 singles, he swept Barajas of Santa Clara by scores of 6-3, 6-4. Fucile's win put the Lopes on the board with a point, but Adrian Legarreta came up just short in the clinch match to give the win to Santa Clara.

"We got down early, losing the doubles point, so the guys came out the right way in the singles and were putting up good fights in enough courts to possibly turn the score around," Prudhomme added. "Santa Clara did a good job getting the momentum back on some of the matches where we had gotten the first sets."

When the match was clinched, Justin Cvitanovic and Valentin Lang were still in the trenches of battle. Cvitanovic was locked with Iliopoulos at No. 5, leaving a 1-6, 6-2, 5-1 match unfinished. Lang's match, at No. 6 singles, was also left unfinished with the score deadlocked at 4-6, 6-3, 1-1.

"It was a tough one to lose, but overall it was a good road trip to come away winning one against two tough teams," said Prudhomme. "The guys will again get a notch better with the close loss today and apply it moving forward."

GCU will compete next at the Pacific Mountain Invitational on March 3. Matches will be held in Stockton, Calif.

Santa Clara 4, Grand Canyon University 1

Singles competition
1. Robert Seby (SCU) def. Francois Musitelli (GCU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Andrew Gu (SCU) def. Mathieu Rajaonah (GCU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Connor Garnett (SCU) def. Adrian Legarreta (GCU) 0-6, 6-3, 6-0
4. Lorenzo Fucile (GCU) def. Jesus Barajas (SCU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Vasileios Iliopoulos (SCU) vs. Justin Cvitanovic (GCU) 1-6, 6-2, 5-1, unfinished
6. Kamran Khan (SCU) vs. Valentin Lang (GCU) 4-6, 6-3, 1-1, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Robert Seby/Jesus Barajas (SCU) def. Philip Kuehnen/Adrian Legarreta (GCU) 6-4
2. Vasileios Iliopoulos/Connor Garnett (SCU) def. Valentin Lang/Lorenzo Fucile (GCU) 6-3
3. Andrew Gu/Kamran Khan (SCU) vs. Gregoire Balenci/Justin Cvitanovic (GCU) 5-4, unfinished

Match Notes:
Grand Canyon University 7-5
Santa Clara 7-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (2,1,4,3)
T-2:30