LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's tennis team faced their third top-20 opponent of the 2020 season on Friday, taking on the eighth-ranked Skyhawks of Point University. The Gyrenes won two singles matches, but eventually fell 4-2 to the nationally-ranked Skyhawks in the neutral site affair. The Skyhawks mark the final nationally ranked team on Ave Maria's schedule this season. 

All three doubles matches went the way of Point, allowing the Skyhawks to take a 1-0 lead into singles play. Joe Klokow and Patrick Tobacco combined for a win at the number one spot, winning 6-4 in the closest of the three matches. Federico Barbon and Julien Pereira rolled to a 6-1 victory at the second position, while Eugenio Devoto and Trey Maust finished off the sweep with a 6-2 triumph.

Ave Maria's victories in singles play came at the top two spots. Nicholas Hofmeister battled back from a 6-3 loss in the first set to win the final two, 6-2, 7-6. AMU's top player dominated the tiebreaker in the third set, winning all seven points against the nation's 40th ranked player. Carlos Thireau moved to 6-1 on the season with a straight set victory at the number two spot, winning 6-3, 7-5. The French sophomore is undefeated in his last seven matches, with six wins and one match shortened. Thireau's win came against Point's top-ranked player nationally in Barbon, who entered the match ranked 21st in the nation.

Point won matches at the third, fourth, and sixth positions to clinch the victory. Tobacco won 6-2, 6-2 at the number three spot, while Pereira rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 in the number four spot. The final win came from Gavin Thomas, who won 6-7, 6-0, 7-5. The number five match between Point's Trey Maust and Ave Maria's Felipe Amorim was even at one set a piece when the match ended, and Amorim held a 1-0 lead in the third.

AMU's Spring Break concludes on Saturday, when the Gyrenes take on the Senators of Davis and Elkins College. Opening serve of the match is scheduled for 8:00 a.m.