Lopes start WAC play with 6-1 win

Friday, March 26

Phoenix, Ariz.

9 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Chicago State

3/26/2021 1:20:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

GCU takes close doubles point, controls match in singles

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon men's tennis team kicked off Western Athletic Conference play with a 6-1 win over Chicago State at the GCU Tennis Facility.

The Lopes won a tightly contested doubles point and used that momentum to dominate singles with wins on five courts.

In doubles the point was won by GCU (2-12, 1-0 WAC) with wins at the bottom two courts. Mariano Argote and Justin Cvitanovic won 6-3 to give the Lopes an early advantage. At the other two positions the Lopes were forced to go to tiebreakers with Chicago State (2-11, 0-1 WAC) tied at 6-6. At No. 3 Freddie Grant and Loic Van Zeggelaar prevailed in the tiebreaker winning 7-6 (7-5) to clinch their fifth win in a row and team leading sixth win while giving the Lopes a 1-0 team lead. Valentin Lang and Jiri Novak would also win their match in tiebreakers 7-6 (9-7) at No. 1.

In singles the Lopes took first sets on five of the six courts including two of them 6-0 at Nos. 4 and 6. Freshman Jonathan Da Silva after winning in straight sets against Idaho State earlier in the week at No. 5 was moved up today to No. 4 and won easily 6-0, 6-1 over Chicago State's Jakub Zamorski.

With the Lopes up 2-0 the team would finish three straight matches in quick succession to clinch the team win. Lang at No. 1 defeated his opponent Jakov Suler 6-2, 6-3 at almost the same time as fellow senior Grant won at No. 6 in straight sets. The third senior in the lineup Cvitanovic would finish just a few moments later at No. 3 with a 6-3, 6-1 win to extend the GCU lead to 5-0.

Argote wrapped up his 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 2 and Chicago State won on the scoreboard in the final match at No. 6 with a 7-6, 7-5 win over Novak.

The Lopes will wrap up the opening WAC pod against New Mexico State at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the GCU Tennis Facility.