Box Score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – In arguably the team's most competitive match of the 2018 campaign, the George Mason University men's tennis team nearly knocked off Georgetown Thursday, but ultimately dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Hoyas.
 
Mason took the doubles point and won two singles matches on the day. And in two of the four singles losses, Patriot student-athletes ultimately fell in super tiebreakers.
 
"This was a great match for us leading up to the A-10 Tournament," head coach Jimmy Davis said. "We played at a very high level and fell short in a couple of ten point breakers. I see big improvements in the guys and I'm very confident we are going to peak together at the right time next week in Orlando."
 
Georgetown won the opening doubles match at No. 3, but the Patriots swept the remaining doubles contests to take the 1-0 lead. Sophomores Eddie Ayers and Jakob Nielsen won a 7-5 decision at No. 2. Then, seniors Pally Ray and Jakob Nielsen matched their teammates, winning 7-5 at No. 1 to clinch the point. Nielsen and Ayers have now won two of their past three doubles contests, while Gutierrez and Ray have won three of four.
 
In singles, freshman Carter Bradford put Mason up 2-0 with a straight sets win at No. 4. He took the first set, 6-4, then closed out the match with a 6-3 victory. He's now 14-6 in dual singles play during his outstanding freshman campaign.
 
Georgetown rallied back to tie the match up with victories at No. 2 and No. 3 singles. At No. 3, Nielsen took the first set, 6-4, but fell in the second, 6-3. In the deciding tiebreak, Nielsen nearly pulled off the win but dropped the tiebreaker 11-9.
 
Ayers had a similar barnburner affair at No. 1. He took the first set, 7-5, but Kamdar of Georgetown rallied to take the second, 6-3. He then won the 10-point tiebreak, 10-4.
 
Georgetown clinched the match at No. 6. But Ray grabbed Mason's third point of the day with his third-straight singles victory. After dropping the first set, Ray won the second, 6-4, then took the tiebreaker, 10-8, to grab the win.
 
Mason will celebrate true senior Daniel Gutierrez on Senior Day this Saturday (April 21) at 1 p.m. The Patriots will take on A-10 foe Saint Joseph's at the Mason Tennis Courts.