March 25, 2008
Today's action began with doubles as Brian Fitzgerald and Dan Schneider paired up to take on Delaware's No.1 doubles team, but could not come out with a win, losing 8-3. Jordan Lipstock and Matt Vaughn played at the No.2 doubles and fell 8-2. At the No.3 doubles, Stas Budagov and Harwood Hoskins lost 8-4.
The singles followed doubles, but only in time. Fitzgerald took his normal spot at the No.1 singles and faced off against Austin Longacre, where he battled scoring points, but never enough to win more than 1 game. After the first set loss of 1-6, Fitzgerald still kept coming at his opponent, scoring, but eventually fell 2-6 in the second set and with it the match. Schneider was the next match to be decided as he squared off against Chris Hinker. After seven games in the first set, Schneider was only down by one game 3-4, but could not seem to rally enough losing 3-6. Schneider after several frustrating games fell 0-6 in the second set.
Martin Brown was at the No.6 singles slot and took the early lead winning two out of the three first games in both the first and second set, but lost the lead in both during the next two games bringing the score to 2-3. In both sets Brown would manage to take just one more game as he lost both sets by the score of 3-6. Lipstock played at the No.5 singles and quickly intimidated all who were watching with his amazing serves. Lipstock started strong in the match leading 2-3 after five games in the first set, but as the match went on fatigue set in. Lipstock did all he could tying the score at 5-5 after 10 games, but could not make a final charge to take the set as he fell 5-7. After an exhausting first set Lipstock could not seem to find the same serve that captivated everyone's attention and with it the second set, 1-6. Hoskins was the last Patriot to finish his match as played well in the beginning of both sets, but just as Brown saw the lead slip away so did Hoskins, dropping both sets 4-6 and 6-7.
The real treat of the day was at the No.2 singles, where Stas Budagov recorded his first victory of the season in a match that could be only called as a Battle of Attrition. Budagov quickly fell into a deficit to Nolan Greenberg, 0-3, but rallied back the next two games and came within one game of tying Greenberg. After splitting the next to games Budagov began to go to his bread and butter, very long volley exchanges. As each game seemed to go longer than the last one before it, Budagov thrived in the games and Greenberg fell apart. After taking the first set 6-4, the second set games were just as the first set had ended, extremely long. Neither opponent wanting to lose, continued their efforts by returning almost every shot that could be fired against one another, but Budagov's stamina long lasted Greenberg's and with it came a close to the second set, 6-4, bringing the first and only point of the day for the Patriots.
Mason continues its long home stay as they take on CAA competitor James Madison University tommorrow March 26 at 2:30 pm.
Doubles
No.1 - Longacre/Greenberg (UD) def. Fitzgerald/D.Schneider (MAS) 8-3
No.2 - Schwartz/Blumberg (UD) def. Lipstock/Vaughn (MAS) 8-2
No.3 - Perez/Hinker (UD) def. Budagov/Hoskins (MAS) 8-4
Singles
No.1 - Longacre (UD) def. Brian Fitzgerald (MAS) 6-1,6-2
No.2 - Stas Budagov (MAS) def. Greenberg (UD) 6-4, 6-4
No.3 - Hinker (UD) def. Dan Schneider (MAS) 6-3, 6-0
No.4 - Perez (UD) def. Harwood Hoskins (MAS) 6-4, 7-6
No.5 - Schwartz (UD) def. Jordan Lipstock (MAS) 7-5, 6-1
No.6 - Piacente (UD) def. Martin Brown (MAS) 6-3, 6-3
