LAKELAND â€" Florida Southern played its second match in back-to-back days here at the Wynee Warden Tennis Center, dropping the match 6-3 to 37th-ranked West Alabama for their first loss in five matches. With the loss the 29th-ranked Moccasins fall to 9-7 overall while the Tigers improve to 16-2 on the season.
In Wednesday’s loss the Mocs would lose two of three doubles matches with the No. 1 doubles’ team of Emanuel Lueber and Benoit Paradis picking up the only win for the Mocs; earning a 9-7 victory. The Mocs’ No. 3 doubles team of Carl Lundberg and Jorge Gutierrez almost pulled out the victory in their doubles match-up but the two would lose 9-8 (8-6), giving the Tigers the advantage going into singles competition as the Tigers would also win at No. 2 doubles 8-4.
In singles play the Mocs would get wins from Nathan Leavitt at No.4 and Vladimir Barabash at No. 5. Leavitt and Barabash would both win in three sets after losing set one in both matches. Leavitt defeated Honovio Fernandez, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, while Barabash defeated Adam Drysdale, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The four other singles matches were all won by West Alabama in straight sets. At No. 1 singles, Paradis was defeated by Nestor Vargas 6-4, 6-2. At No. 2 Lueber would fall 6-4, 6-3 to Anton Ivanov while Lundberg lost 6-4, 6-3 to Kike Ruiz in the No. 3 spot. Robbie Palmiotto dropped his singles match to Simon Bardell, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 6.
The Mocs will take the weekend off from competitive play and will return to action Tuesday, April 2, on the road against Florida Tech. FSC will then travel to Pensacola to play three matches (Alabama-Huntsville, Delta State, West Florida). All in all the Mocs will play four matches in six days next week.
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