Lopes shut out Hornets at home

Sunday, January 27

Phoenix, Ariz.

10 A.M.

Grand Canyon

Sacramento State

1/27/2019 1:40:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

GCU caps perfect weekend with 7-0 win

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon men's tennis team wrapped up a perfect weekend at home with a 7-0 shutout of Sacramento State.

The Lopes improved to 3-0 at GCU Tennis Facility this season and played in their last home match until March 12.

"It was good to get a clean sheet today and get all seven points," GCU head coach Greg Prudhomme said. "We did beat Sacramento State last year so we were the favorite team going in, but we won by a stronger score this year. It's nice to see everybody come through when they are expected to win."

The Lopes (3-1) got off to a quick start, capturing the doubles point in only 40 minutes with wins at Nos. 1 and 3. Freddie Grant and Lucas Grego won their second straight match with a 6-1 set at No. 3. Then, the top doubles team of Lorenzo Fucile and Mathieu Rajaonah improved to 4-0 on the season, winning 6-4 to clinch the doubles point for the Lopes. Valentin Lang and Jakub Novak finished their match at 5-5.

"Good doubles performance again, for the last few matches in a row," Prudhomme said. "The guys jumping out and getting momentum going by clinching the point."

In singles, the Lopes again jumped out quickly by winning every first set. Fucile was the first to finish at No. 1, defeating Mikus Logbergs 6-3, 6-1, in less than an hour. Grego kept his perfect 4-0 record intact at No. 4 with a 7-5, 6-2 win to extend the GCU's lead to 3-0.

The Lopes stayed resilient in the next three matches, clinching each one in tiebreakers. Lang won 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), at No. 3, Rajaonah won 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), at No. 2, and Novak, who was moved into the starting singles lineup, won 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) at No. 6.

With the team win already in hand, Grant outlasted Hermont Legaspi at No. 5 to prevail 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

"We had a couple of close sets in the second sets where we really had to battle to cross the finish line," Prudhomme said. "Valentin and Mathieu both won in tiebreakers, and then we had to win three setters at Nos. 5 and 6. It was good to see our younger guys, Freddie being a sophomore and Jakub as a freshman, to see them come from behind. Even though on paper the score looks lopsided, we were still tested in a number of situations and the guys passed all those tests."

The team will hit the road for the next eight matches, starting with a pair in Nashville on Feb. 8 and 9. The Lopes will match up with Belmont and Lipscomb for the first time in program history.