Box Score (PDF)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The George Mason University men's tennis team won two matches against the No. 37 team in the nation Thursday during a solid morning of competition at the University of Virginia.

"I'm really proud of how the guys battled today against one of the top teams in the country," head coach Jimmy Davis said. "We're hungry to improve and it's starting to show in our matches. We still have a lot of growth to work towards in both singles and doubles, but we're starting to see progress and looking forward to getting a lot of match play in Hilton Head."

Mason's triumphs both came in singles, starting with freshman Rithik Sardana, who won a resilient affair against UVa's RJ Fresen at No. 4. Sardana dropped his first set, 6-0, but bounced back to take the second in commanding fashion, 6-2. Then in the shortened third, Sardana won his super tiebreaker, 10-5, to claim victory.

The Patriots also picked up a win at No. 6, where junior Ryan Charles put together a complete effort in a triumph over Jerome Romualdez. He fell in his first set, 6-3, but like Sardana, bounced right back to take the second (6-3). He then won his third set super tiebreaker, 10-5, to grab his first dual singles win of 2020.

Mason also nearly claimed a victory at No. 2 doubles, where the Patriots' talented tandem of freshman Faisal Alrebdi and senior Jakob Nielsen forced a tiebreaker at 6-6 with William Woodall and Fresen of UVa. The Patriots were competitive in the extra points but ultimately dropped the tiebreaker, 7-4.

The Patriots now take a little more than a week to prepare for the team's annual pilgrimage to Hilton Head for the PTR Springfest. Mason will play multiple matches in the event from Mar. 9-13. Check back to GoMason.com soon for a full schedule of spring break matches.