Box Score (PDF)
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University men's tennis team battled the elements on a cold and blistery Friday, but withstood a number of weather delays to put together a strong 4-0 triumph over La Salle.
The victory marked Mason's first A-10 win of the season and included a dominant performance in doubles to lead off the day.
"The guys played well and got the job done," head coach Jimmy Davis said. "We battled with the weather and delays and they showed some mental toughness to overcome and still compete at a high level. This should give us more confidence going into the practice week so we can continue improving as a team. I'm happy with where we're heading as a group and I'm excited to get back to work with our team."
Mason's No. 3 doubles tandem of senior
Giuliano Buzoianu and freshman
Carter Bradford led off the evening with a bang. The duo cruised to a 6-1 win and has now won six of its past seven dual doubles contests.
The Patriots clinched the doubles point with a win at No. 1. Seniors
Pally Ray and
Daniel Gutierrez rode an early service break to claim a 6-4 win at the top spot. They're now 2-0 in dual action in 2017-18 after partnering for much of the 2016-17 campaign.
In singles, Mason improved to 2-0 after freshman
Carter Bradford won at No. 4 singles. He captured a close first set with a 7-6 win, including a 7-4 decision in the tiebreaker. Then, in the second, the Saudi Arabia product won easily in 6-2 fashion. Bradford has now won seven of his past eight singles matches.
From there, sophomore
Edward Ayers put together a gritty performance at No. 1, fighting through flu-like symptoms to dominate his match. Ayers swept the first set, 6-0, then won 6-2 in the second to put Mason up 3-0.
The Patriots clinched the match at No. 2 singles, where Gutierrez rallied back from falling in the first set (6-2) to complete a comeback victory. The senior won the second frame, 6-3, then finished off his match with a 6-0 sweep in the third.
With their first A-10 victory in hand, the Mason men will look to pick up another Thursday at 3:30 p.m. vs. Richmond at the Mason Tennis Courts.
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