GCU falls to Lamar in WAC Tournament semis

Saturday, April 23

Beaumont, Texas

7 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Lamar

Photo by: Jeff Kellum

4/23/2022 2:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

Lopes battle to the final match in close 4-3 loss

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon men's tennis team had their WAC Tournament run end in the semifinals with a close 4-3 loss to Lamar on Saturday morning at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.

The fourth-seeded Lopes (6-15) dropped the doubles point but made a comeback in singles winning four first sets but ultimately lost in the final match of the day against the top-seeded Cardinals (17-7).

In the fourth-straight WAC semifinal appearance for the Lopes, Lamar jumped out to an early lead with the doubles point winning at the top two courts. Junior Mariano Argote and freshman Martim Marujo lost 6-3 at the top court while sophomores Loic Van Zeggelaar and Stanislas De Samucewicz fell 6-2 at court two. Meanwhile on court three senior Freddie Grant and sophomore Adrien Coulome held match point leading 5-4 in the set and 40-30 in the game when their match was left unfinished.

Up 1-0 Lamar extended their lead in singles with a quick 6-1, 6-4 win over Van Zeggleaar at court four to lead 2-0.

That's when GCU began their comeback when Argote and Grant each took their first sets at the top two courts 6-4 and 7-6 respectively. Meanwhile Marjuo at court four and De Samucewicz also won their first sets to give the Lopes the advantage in the final five matches.

De Samucewicz picked up his second singles win of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 win at five while Marujo tied up the match at 2-2 with a straight-set win at court four. While those Lopes picked up those wins, Coulome battled back in his second set and eventually won in three sets 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to GCU a 3-2 lead.

That lead was short lived as Lamar answered back with a three-set win over Grant at three setting up a showdown at the top singles court. Argote after winning his first set 6-4 over Lamar's Arbizu Sancho but found himself in a tiebreaker in the second set. The GCU junior lost the tiebreaker 7-1 and experienced cramps at the start of the third set eventually losing 6-1.

Despite the exit from the WAC Tournament the Lopes can head into the offseason with high expectations for 2023 with a solid core returning from this season.