MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama A&M (3-6, 3-1 SWAC) delivered their third straight Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory as they shutout Prairie View A&M (0-12, 0-3 SWAC) by a 4-0 score in an NCAA Division I men's tennis match on Saturday, March 13.
The dominance would begin in doubles action as sophomore
Natiphat Mulada (Korat, Thailand) and senior
Fermin Ruiz Crespo (Mollina, Spain) blanked Caleb Eaton and Tyreese Washington 6-0 at No. 3 before redshirt-senior
Gjorgji Popovski (Skopje, Macedonia) and junior Cheng Yang Chang (Koahsiung, Taiwan) secured the point with a 6-1 win over Rodrigo Yoshikata and Kevin Ugarteche at the two spot.
Singles action would see the Bulldogs make quick work of the No. 2 and No. 5 matches as Popovski dispatched Juan Malham Viada 6-1, 6-0 and junior
Panji Setiawan (South Jakarta, Indonesia) bested Adrien Blackwell 6-2, 6-0, respectively.
Up 3-0, Mulada was in a back-and-forth battle with Ugarteche as the match hung in the balance, one that he would prevail in 6-4, 6-4 to close out the 4-0 shutout.
With the win, A&M has won their last three SWAC matches dating to a 4-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State on February 27.
Alabama A&M is now off until Saturday, March 20 when they travel to Jackson State in what is currently scheduled to be their regular season finale. First serve is set for 10 a.m. in Jackson, Mississippi.
ALABAMA A&M 4, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 0
Doubles
1. Jorge Juarez Caballero/Juan Malham Viada vs.
Panji Setiawan/
Rodrigo Arana Rios 4-3 (UF)
2.
Gjorgji Popovski/Cheng Yang Chang def. Rodrigo Yoshikata/Kevin Ugarteche 6-1
3.
Natiphat Mulada/
Fermin Ruiz Crespo def. Caleb Eaton/Tyreese Washington 6-0
Order of Finish: 3, 2
Singles
No. 1. Jorge Juarez Caballero vs.
Rodrigo Arana Rios 7-6, 4-4 (UF)
No. 2.
Gjorgji Popovski def. Juan Malham Viada 6-1, 6-0
No. 3.
Fermin Ruiz Crespo vs. Rodrigo Yoshikata 5-7, 5-4 (UF)
No. 4.
Natiphat Mulada def. Kevin Ugarteche 6-4, 6-4
No. 5.
Panji Setiawan def. Adrien Blackwell 6-2, 6-0
No. 6. Cheng Yang Chang vs. Caleb Eaton 6-2, 6-6 (UF)
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 4
