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CHARLOTTE, NC – Georgia State Men’s Tennis got back into the win column on Thursday afternoon, toppling non-conference opponent Queens College by a final count of 4-3. Sota Minami came to thre rescue for the Panthers, securing the final point of the day on a third set tiebreaker in singles play.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead courtesy of their top doubles pairings. Playing from line two, Minami and Cem Atlamis made quick work of their counterparts, letting up just one point in a 6-1 victory. Gabriele Datei and Aleksandar Andrin closed out the doubles point with a 6-3 win of their own against Queens’ top line duo.
A trio of defeats on the top three singles lines had Georgia State on the ropes, but the back end of their lineup kept them in lockstep with the Royals. Gustav Andersson enjoyed a comfortable win on court four, knocking off his counterpart with set wins of 6-1 and 6-3. Atlamis posted a straight-set victory of his own on court five, winning 6-4 in set one before blanking his opponent 6-0 to secure the team’s third point.
With his team knotted up 3-3 on the day, Minami found himself in a neck-and-neck contest on court number six. Minami took the first set from Queens’ Gavin Ryan, 7-6, before Ryan took a thrilling set of his own, 7-5, to tie it up. With each player needing the set win to take the court and the match for their team, Minami got the best of Ryan, winning the decisive third set by a score of 6-2.
The Panthers will return to their home court on Saturday, March 28 to face Sun Belt Conference foe South Alabama at 10:00 a.m.