Box Score MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's tennis team faced yet another nationally ranked opponent this week, as Sun Conference play began with a trip to Miami Gardens to face No. 24 St. Thomas University. The Gyrenes won three of the day's nine matches, but would eventually fall to the Bobcats on the road by a 5-2 margin.
The Gyrenes had an opportunity to win the doubles point, but dropped two close matches to put themselves in a 1-0 hole. Fernando Orihuela and Sebastian Grijalva were dominant at the number one spot, winning 6-2 over the top STU team. St. Thomas won the match at the number two spot, 7-5, leaving the third spot to decide the doubles point.
Playing at the number three spot, Guilherme Bento and Carlos Thireau had two match points, but eventually fell 7-6, losing in the tiebreaker to give the Bobcats the first point of the match.
The top of the Ave Maria lineup did their job, as the Gyrenes won at the number one and two spots. Orihela made short work of top STU player Lucas Ribas, winning 6-1 in the first set and holding a 2-1 lead in the second set when Ribas retired. Grijalva also cruised in the second position, winning 6-3, 6-1 over Thomas Andrews.
Ave Maria needed to win two of the final four matches, but could not come up with the needed victories. The closest match in the final four spots came at the fourth position, where Carlos Thireau and Alessandro Tabares went into a third set. Thireau battled back after a first set defeat to force a third, but fell 7-6 in the third set. STU won the other three matches in straight sets to take the match.
AMU's men start the season with six consecutive matches against teams that are either nationally ranked or receiving votes in their respective divisions. That streak continues next Saturday, when the Gyrenes host the No. 18 Southeastern University Fire on the AMU campus, which will mark the 2022 home opener for Ave Maria. Opening serve of the match, the second Sun Conference match of the season for Ave Maria, is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
