Lopes drop season opener

Saturday, January 11

Logan, Utah

11 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Utah State

1/11/2020 4:06:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

GCU starts 5 newcomers in close 4-3 loss

By: Jerob Moon

LOGAN, Utah — The Grand Canyon men's tennis team fought to the final set of a close 4-3 loss to Utah State in the season opener Saturday.

Five newcomers made the GCU starting lineup against the Aggies with freshmen Julian Mueller, David Weber and Can Franke all picking up wins in their collegiate debuts.

"The guys lost a nail-biter," Lopes head coach Greg Prudhomme. "We certainly don't like losing, but the way they fought today, along with the attitudes and team spirit they had for the first match of the season, I was really proud of them. We haven't beaten Utah State on the road before and this is the closet we've come. To do it with five new players in the starting lineup was great."

Utah State (1-0) jumped to an early lead after winning doubles at Nos. 2 and 3. The German duo of Maxim Kirsch and Mueller at No. 2 lost 6-4, as did Weber and Laurent Magne at No. 3 while Fucile and Franke won 6-4 at No. 1.

Down a 2-0 hole in singles, the Lopes (0-1) began to regroup with Fucile, the reigning WAC Player of the Year, picking up his first win at No. 1 in straight sets. Mueller followed at No. 3 with a 6-4, 6-4 win to tie the match at 2-2.

After the Lopes lost at No. 5, Weber came up clutch for a hard-fought win in three tiebreakers (7-6, 6-7, 7-6). The freshman from Schellbach, Germany, won the final tiebreaker 8-6 and tied the team score at 3-3.

"It was impressive that we got points on the board from three freshmen," Prudhomme said. "Julian Mueller playing position three today winning in straight sets, Can Franke getting a win at No. 1 doubles and David Weber winning 7-6 in the third set in singles. That was impressive and good for them. It shows us that we brought in the right guys."

The match came down to Magne at No. 6, where he started the match started with a 7-6 win before losing the second set 6-7. In the final set, the freshman from France held a 3-2 advantage but then lost the final four games to the Aggies' Christian Holmes.

"Everything was great, the only thing that could have made it better was to actually get the win," Prudhomme added. "But as far as all of the rest of the things we were looking for this early in the season, there were really good signs."

The Lopes will travel south to Odgen, Utah, to take on Weber State on Sunday at 10 a.m. (Phoenix time).