March 18, 2007

Results

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- - The Golden Eagle men's tennis team dropped a close match to Florida A&M, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Racquet Club.

With the match tied at 3-3, Andrew Poole and Artiom Podgainii battled in a three-set match, with Podgainii pulling out a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles over Poole.

"Florida A&M deserved to win today because they out fought us," Head Coach Teddy Viator said. "They played better doubles and at the No. 2 and 4 singles than we did."

FAMU (12-11) took control of the match, earning the doubles' point. Simbarashe Happy and Artiom Podgainii ousted Andrew Poole and Will Thames at No. 1 doubles', 8-3. The Rattlers won the points at No. 2 doubles, when Clifford Malivert and William Mau-asam downed Domagoj Anic and Strate Krstevski, 8-3

The Golden Eagles (8-7) were able to salvage a win at No. 3 doubles, when Diego and Oscar Machuca defeated Paul Paige and Jarrel Williams, 8-6.

Krstevski got the Eagles' first point of the match with a convincing win at No. 6 singles. Krstevski defeated Paige in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Markus Wessinghage put Southern Miss on top, 2-1, with a win at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-3, over Happy.

The Rattlers answered back to tie the match at 2-2, when Malivert knocked off Anic in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. FAMU took a 3-2 advantage with Mau-asam defeating Diego Machuca, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 4 singles.

Southern Miss tied the match at 3-3, following a 6-4, 6-2, win by Oscar Machuca over Williams at No. 5 singles.

Southern Miss returns to action on March 24, when the Golden Eagles travel to Mobile, Ala., to play South Alabama in an 11 a.m., match.