MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama A&M (2-5, 2-1 SWAC) battled through doubles action before excelling in singles play to pick up a hard fought 4-2 victory over Alcorn State (2-6, 1-1 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I men's tennis match on Friday, March 12.
The tandem of redshirt-senior
Gjorgji Popovski (Skopje, Macedonia) and junior Cheng Yang Chang (Koahsiung, Taiwan) posted a commanding 6-0 victory at No. 2 doubles before ASU's No. 1 pair of David Pata and Andonov produced a narrow 7-5 victory over juniors
Panji Setiawan (South Jakarta, Indonesia) and
Rodrigo Arana Rios (Playa Del Carmen, Mexico).
It would then come down to No. 3 for the doubles point as sophomore
Natiphat Mulada (Korat, Thailand) and senior
Fermin Ruiz Crespo (Mollina, Spain) outlasted Kareem Bowe and Santiago Rocca by a 6-4 margin to take the 1-0 lead.
Mulada would take down Bowes again, this time 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4 singles, before Pata picked up a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Arana Rios at the top spot to make it 2-1 Bulldogs. That would stretch to 3-1 as Chang earned a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Rocca at No. 6 but the Braves would not go away.
Stojan Stojanovski kept hope alive with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over
Fermin Ruiz Crespo at the three spot but it would be short lived as Popovski ended it with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 win over Andonov at No. 2, locking up the 4-2 victory.
Alabama A&M is right back in action tomorrow morning as they take on Prairie View A&M. First serve is set for 10 a.m. in Montgomery, Alabama.
ALABAMA A&M 4, ALCORN STATE 2
Doubles
1. David Pata/Andonov def.
Panji Setiawan/
Rodrigo Arana Rios 7-5
2.
Gjorgji Popovski/Cheng Yang Chang def. Stojan Stojanovski/Lucas Dini 6-0
3.
Natiphat Mulada/
Fermin Ruiz Crespo def. Kareem Bowe/Santiago Rocca 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
No. 1. David Pata def.
Rodrigo Arana Rios 6-2, 6-2
No. 2.
Gjorgji Popovski def. Andonov 6-7, 6-3, 6-1
No. 3. Stojan Stojanovski def.
Fermin Ruiz Crespo 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
No. 4.
Natiphat Mulada def. Kareem Bowes 6-1, 6-0
No. 5. Lucas Dini def.
Panji Setiawan 6-3, 6-7, 2-1 (UF)
No. 6. Cheng Yang Chang def. Santiago Rocca 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 6, 3, 2
