SAN DIEGO, CALIF. -- The NAIA's No. 7 ranked Azusa Pacific, and defending GSAC champions, won the showdown between 2 of the top 10 NAIA teams, defeating No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene, 5-2, in a Golden State Athletic Conference men's tennis match Monday afternoon in San Diego.
The Cougars struggled out of the gate, as all of the top 3 players dropped the first set. However, Azusa Pacific came back to win the match in singles play by winning 4 of the 6 singles matches. Four of the 6 singles matches went 3 sets.
The biggest win of the day came at No. 1 singles. After being shut out in the first set, Martin Dvoracek, a transfer from Oklahoma State, upset the NAIA's No. 1 ranked player, Mattias Rohlin, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The Crusaders bounced back to take No. 2 and 3 singles in 3 sets, but Abdullatief Mohamed won in 3 sets at No. 4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0, to seal the win for the Cougars.
Azusa Pacific is now 7-2 overall, 3-0 in the GSAC. Point Loma Nazarene falls to 0-2 overall, 0-1 in the GSAC. The Cougars are next in action Saturday, when they travel to So. Cal College.
AZUSA PACIFIC 5, POINT LOMA NAZARENE 2
Singles
1. Martin Dvoracek (APU) def. Mattias Rohlin (PLNU) 0-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Nicklas Rohdin (PLNU) def. Jussi Ala-Opas (APU) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
3. Nathan Bell (PLNU) def. Ben Medina (APU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
4. Abdullatief Mohamed (APU) def. Chad Abby (PLNU) 7-6, 4-6, 6-0
5. Nathan Goodman (APU) def. Peter Seitz (PLNU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Kavan Hahn (APU) def. Ben Roberson (PLNU) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
1. Rohlin/Rohdin (PLNU) def. Dvoracek/Goodman (APU) 8-4
2. Medina/Hahn (APU) def. Bell/Seitz (PLNU) 8-4
3. Ala-Opas/Mohamed (APU) def. Abby/Roberson (PLNU) 8-4
