FORT MYERS, Fla. – Defending Mid-American Champion Toledo men's tennis team could not hold on against defending ASUN Champion Florida Gulf Coast and fell 4-3 at the FGCU Tennis Complex on Thursday.
Toledo (5-7) fell behind early in the match after losing the doubles point and on the No. 3 singles court before freshman
Poonthong Komolpisut (No. 5) and senior
Pawit Sornlaksup (No. 1) won their respective courts to tie the match at 2-2. FGCU took a 3-2 lead after winning the No. 4 court in two sets.
Sophomore
Matias Olivero had a chance to tie the match for the Rockets at the No. 6 court. He was leading 4-1 in the third set vs. Harry Michalowski when the FGCU freshman won five straight games to win the tiebreaker 6-4 and clinch match point for the Eagles. Senior
Marko Galic lost his first set 7-6(4) to Phillip Bosse but then won back-to-back matches, 6-4, 6-3, in the final match of the afternoon.
With the win from the top court, No. 66 ranked Sornlaksup collected his 111
th career win to tie Travis Curran (2004-07) for the No. 9 spot on Toledo's all-time combined wins list.
Toledo will open Mid-American Conference play at Buffalo (3-4) on Saturday, March 9 in Buffalo, N.Y. UT's first home conference match is Ball State on Friday, March 15 followed by Western Michigan on Sunday, March 17 at Shadow Valley Tennis Club.
Florida Gulf Coast 4, Toledo 3
Singles
1. #66
Pawit Sornlaksup (TOL) def. Hugo Magnusson (FGCU) 6-4, 6-2
2.
Marko Galic (TOL) def. Phillip Bosse (FGCU) 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3
3. Pablo Paternostro (FGCU) def.
Hanamichi Carvajal (TOL) 6-0, 6-0
4. Mika Bunjes (FGCU) def.
Adam Kovac (TOL) 6-2, 6-2
5.
Poonthong Komolpisut (TOL) def. John Zakowski (FGCU) 6-0, 6-4
6. Harry Michalowski (FGCU) def.
Matias Olivero (TOL) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. Hugo Magnusson/ Eric Oncins (FGCU) def.
Pawit Sornlaksup/
Marko Galic (TOL) 6-2
2. Pablo Paternostro/ Harry Michalowski (FGCU) def.
Hanamichi Carvajal/
Poonthong Komolpisut (TOL) 6-1
3. John Zakowski/ Mika Bunjes (FGCU) vs.
Matias Olivero/
Adam Kovac (TOL) 5-3, unfinished
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