April 14, 2003

BALTIMORE - George Mason won three of the six singles matches, but lost two of three doubles contests as Towson edged the Patriots, 4-3, in the Colonial Athletic Association finale for both men's tennis teams. Mason falls to 4-11 overall on the season and finished 0-6 in league action.

Mason posted victories at No. 1 through No. 3 singles. Junior Tito Ballester (Lima, Peru) recorded a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the #1 position, while sophomore Tim Bainton (Chobham Surrey, UK) earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2. Freshman Stephan Dufils (Paris, France) claimed a 6-0, 6-3 triumph at No. 3.

After dropping matches at the #4 and #5 positions, both teams had to rely on the outcome of the contest at No. 6 singles between Mason freshman Miles Hughes (Lowry, VA/Jefferson Forest) and his opponent, the Tigers' Grant Mayhew. Hughes won the first set, 6-1, and led in the second, 4-1, before Mayhew rallied, winning three of the next four games, to trim the deficit to 5-4 in favor of Hughes. Hughes would falter, however, as Mayhew managed to tie the set at 6-6, sending it into a tiebreak, which he won 7-6. Both players were now tied, forcing a third set.

In the third set, Hughes was all but done, trailing 5-2. But, he fought back to tie the match at 5-5 and then at 6-6 to force another tiebreak, which Mayhew also won, giving the Tigers the match in the best-of-seven contest.

George Mason now awaits seeding announcements for the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association Championships, which will be held Thursday-Sunday, April 17-20, at the Thalhimer Tennis Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University and at Byrd Park in Richmond, VA.

TOWSON		4
GEORGE MASON	3
(4/14/03, at Towson Tennis Courts, Baltimore, MD)
Singles
1. Tito Ballester (GM) d. Chris Rowland, 6-3, 6-2
2. Tim Bainton (GM) d. Dan Selzer, 6-4, 6-1
3. Stephan Dufils (GM) d. Ittai Dvir, 6-0, 6-3
4. Todd Nagel d. Cem Akalin (GM), 6-4, 6-1
5. Doug Ferguson d. Jorge Ramallo (GM), 6-2, 6-2
6. Grant Mayhew d. Miles Hughes (GM), 1-6, 7-6, 7-6

Doubles
1. Ballester/Dufils (GM) d. Rowland/Dvir, 8-4
2. Nagel/Mike Edison d. Akalin/Bainton (GM), 8-4
3. Selzer/Ferguson d. Hughes/Ramallo (GM), 8-3