JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – For the eighth consecutive season, Austin Peay State University men's tennis team has gained entry to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament following a 4-3 victory over Jacksonville State, Saturday, at the JSU Tennis Courts.
The Governors (7-10, 6-3 OVC) have now reached the six conference wins mark for the sixth-straight year. APSU will be the No. 3 seed in the tournament, playing the sixth-seeded Belmont Bruins, Friday, at 10 a.m.
Austin Peay opened the day by winning the doubles point, which would prove to be crucial against the Gamecocks (9-14, 5-4 OVC). Top tandem Aaron Jumonville and Manuel Montenegro did their part at the No. 1 position, defeating Andres Gomez and Liu Shao Chun, 6-4. JSU's No. 3 players Mathias Chaim and Pedro Wagner were able to top Alex Kartsonis and Chad Woodham, 6-4, but APSU went on to clinch the point.
The duo of Almantas Ozelis and Aleh Drobysh improved to 8-0 in OVC doubles play, knocking off Austin McCormick and Jaryd Reese, 6-4.
In singles action, Austin Peay's No. 2-4 players earned victories, with Montenegro's win over Chaim, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, serving as the game-winning point. Ozelis powered over Reese at No. 2, 7-6, 6-1, while Drobysh stayed hot with a 6-3, 6-4 nod over Vinicio Hadlich.
Jacksonville State grabbed three points – Pedro Wagner defeated Jumonville, 6-3, 6-0, Gomez topped Kartsonis, 7-5, 6-3, and Shao Chun bested Woodham, 6-4, 6-3 – but was not enough as APSU leaped over the Gamecocks in the standings.
Singles
1. WAGNER, Pedro (JSUM) def. Jumonville, Aaron (APSU) 6-3, 6-0
2. Ozelis, Almantas (APSU) def. REESE, Jaryd (JSUM) 7-6, 6-1
3. Montenegro, Manuel (APSU) def. CHAIM, Mathias (JSUM) 7-6, 3-6, 6-2
4. Drobysh, Aleh (APSU) def. HADLICH, Vinicio (JSUM) 6-3, 6-4
5. GOMEZ, Andres (JSUM) def. Kartsonis, Alex (APSU) 7-5, 6-3
6. SHAO CHUN, Liu (JSUM) def. Woodham, Chad (APSU) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
1. Jumonville, Aaron/Montenegro, Manuel (APSU) def. GOMEZ, Andres/SHAO CHUN, Liu (JSUM) 6-4
2. Drobysh, Aleh/Ozelis, Almantas (APSU) def. MCCORMICK, Austin/REESE, Jaryd (JSUM) 6-4
3. CHAIM, Mathias/WAGNER, Pedro (JSUM) def. Kartsonis, Alex/Woodham, Chad (APSU) 6-4
