HIALEAH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's tennis team started Sun Conference play with a victory Wednesday afternoon, claiming a 4-1 victory over the Conquistadors of Florida National University at Goodlet Park in Hialeah. The first conference match between the Gyrenes and Conquistadors, who joined the league as a affiliate member int tennis this season, saw the Gyrenes bounce back from a doubles loss with four singles wins to start 1-0 in SUN play.
Ave Maria's top team was dominant in doubles play, but it was Florida National who won the initial point of the afternoon. Anderson Duggan and Gaston Erhardt cruised to a 6-1 win at the top flight, but Florida National responded with wins at the second and third flights. FNU's second team of Guido Gentile and Alejandro Suarez won 6-3, as did the third team of Sebastian Fujita and David Santamaria, giving FNU a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
AMU's fortunes changed in singles, with four victories propelling the Gyrenes to a win in the match. The sweep of singles play was led by Gaston Erhardt, who swept the top flight match, 6-0, 6-0. Tom Alias was also a winner, claiming the match at the second flight, 6-3, 6-3. Anderson Duggan added a win of his own with a 6-0, 6-3 decision, while Nolan Smith added a 6-1, 7-6 victory at the fifth flight.
The Gyrenes would have quite possibly won the final two matches, as both Pedro Garcia and Joao Felipe Almeida held leads in their matches. Garcia won the first set of his match at the fourth flight, and the second set was in progress when the match was clinched. Almeida was perhaps moments away from a win in his match, leading 4-0 in the third set after splitting the first two, 6-2, 0-6.
Ave Maria will return to Sun Conference play in just over two weeks, as the Gyrenes will play the final six matches of league play in the span of a month, from March 15 to April 13. AMU will face another national contender in their return to conference play, traveling to Lakeland for a meeting with the Southeastern University Fire. Opening serve of the men's match, which goes first in conference matches, is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
