Gulf Coast men open 2021 with a win

PHOTO BY C.J. ADAMS/ICCIMAGES.COM

After waiting an extra week, Mississippi Gulf Coast men's tennis team won its first match of 2021 in style Friday. The Bulldogs traveled to Fulton to beat Itawamba 8-1.

They set the tone in the opening doubles matches.

"The way they came out and played doubles, they roared out of the gate and took care of business on Courts 1, 2 and 3," said coach Sam Blackburn.

The singles matches were more of a struggle, with Pedro Molero (Fr., Maracaibo, Venezuela/U.E. Instituto Americano Joseph John Thomson) and Wesley Fontaine (So., Biloxi/Biloxi) winning third-set mini-tiebreakers 12-10. Molero beat Rhonzo Olaechea in No. 2 singles, and Fontaine won the No. 4 match over Jacambrian Matlock.

Grant Eubanks (Fr., Lucedale/George County) had an easier time in his third set, beating Torean King 10-2.

"We had a couple of really close matches and the guys were tough," Blackburn said. "It seemed like they'd been playing matches for the last two weeks. It being their first one of the season, really impressed me by the way they pulled out the tiebreakers."

Blackburn got his first win as a first-year head coach after having a pair of matches postponed by weather.

"The first W is very satisfying and rewarding," he said. "It feels good to have been a little part of getting these men and women ready to win today. It's amazing to see the little bit of work I've gotten to do with them pay off. For how hard they've been working all year, this is very satisfying, for sure."

Results

Team: Gulf Coast 8, Itawamba 1

Doubles

No. 1: Seth Macute-Wesley Fontaine (GC) def. Sergia Garcia-Rhonzo Olaechea, 8-4

No. 2: Pedro Molero-Clay Fudge (GC) def. Grayson Godbold-Jacambrian Matlock, 8-4

No. 3: Patrick Roth-Jackson Ward (GC) def. Torean King-Russell Moorman, 8-0

Singles

No. 1: Garcia (ICC) def. Macute, 6-2, 6-2

No. 2: Molero (GC) def. Olaechea, 6-1, 3-6, 12-10

No. 3: Roth (GC) def. Godbold, 6-1, 6-2

No. 4: Fontaine (GC) def. Matlock, 7-6, 6-7, 12-10

No. 5: Fudge (GC) def. Moorman, 6-1, 6-1

No. 6: Grant Eubanks (GC) def. King, 6-3, 6-7, 10-2

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.