Lopes fall to Wildcats in Tucson

Sunday, January 20

Tucson, Ariz.

2 P.M.

Grand Canyon

Arizona

1/20/2019 5:30:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

Arizona wins 5 of 6 singles matches

By: Jerob Moon

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Grand Canyon men's tennis team wrapped up the opening weekend of the dual match season Sunday with a 5-2 loss at Arizona.

The Lopes held a 1-0 lead after doubles, but the Wildcats came back by winning five of six singles matches.

"The guys had an amazing battle with Arizona today," GCU head coach Greg Prudhomme said. "Aside from the loss, there were a lot of positives. It's great to have a hard-fought battle so early in the season to remind the guys why we work hard every day in practice and to show the new guys what high-level Divsion I college tennis is all about."

In doubles, the Lopes were down early after Valentin Lang and Jakub Novak lost 6-1 at No. 2. GCU rallied at No. 1 with a 6-2 win by Lorenzo Fucile and Mathieu Rajaonah and won the doubles point at No. 3 with a 6-2 win by Lucas Grego and Freddie Grant.

"We started off great winning the doubles point," Prudhomme said. "It shows a lot about the level where the guys can play doubles. That's the second time we've won the doubles point against Arizona in the last two times we've played them. Good job to courts one and three for getting us out to an early lead."

Leading 1-0, GCU won only two first sets in singles and Arizona won three matches at No. 6 over Novak, No. 2 over Rajaonah and No. 5 over Justin Cvitanovic.

Fucile made it interesting at No. 1, forcing a third set with a 7-6 (7-1) win in the second set. At that time, the Lopes were leading in the remaining two matches but were trailing 3-1 on the team scoreboard. The Wildcats clinched the team win with a comeback win at No. 3 over Lang 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Grego got a point back for the Lopes moments later at No. 4, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Arizona's Igor Karpovets and Fucile each won a 7-6 set at No. 1 singles before settling the match with a tiebreaker in lieu of a third set to save time and wrap up the team match. Karpovets won 10-5.

"We got off to good starts in singles on a number of courts that looked like if we could keep that momentum going we could get the win," Prudhomme said. "But we all know that there are many momentum swings when there is a hard-fought match against good competition. The guys hung in there 'til the very end. It just went the other way."

The Lopes will be back at home for a pair of matches against Florida Gulf Coast and Sacramento State on Friday and Sunday, respectively.