W&M Men’s Tennis Falls to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 4-3

03/18/06 7:29PM

MONTGOMERY, AL - William and Mary’s men’s tennis team, ranked 72nd in the nation, fell to No. 73 Texas A&M-Corpus Christ, 4-3, today in the consolation round of the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic, played at the Lagoon Park Tennis Center.

The loss drops the Tribe’s record to 9-11, while the Islanders improve to 7-11.

W&M opened the match by winning the doubles point with victories at the top and bottom positions. Junior Colin O’Brien (Dublin, Ireland) and sophomore Kavi Sud (Allentown, PA) were off first, defeating Jan Cingel and Jose Ycaza, 8-1, at No. 3. Senior Stephen Ward (Douglaston, NY) and sophomore Matt Rubenstein (East Hampton, NY) lost to Raul Morant-Rivas and Jose Zuninio, 8-6, at No. 2, but sophomore Alex Cojanu (Hallandale, FL) and freshman Billy Mulligan (Miami, FL), ranked 33rd in the nation, clinched the point with an 8-6 win at No. 1 over Andrey Kumantsov and Mikhail Pavlov.

The Islanders tied the score at one when Ward retired from his match at No. 2 singles against 125th-ranked Kumantsov. Freshman Alexander Zuck (Toms River, NJ) put the Tribe back ahead with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 over Ycaza and Cojanu put W&M just one point away from the win with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 4 over Zunino. However, the Islanders went on to win the remaining three contests to win the match. Cingel began the comeback with a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 4 over Rubenstein and Morant-Rivas, ranked 43rd in the nation, tied the score at three with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the top match over O’Brien. Pavlov clinched the match with his 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory at No. 3 over Mulligan.

W&M returns to action in 10 days, when the Tribe opens a three-match homestand against current No. 11 Virginia on March 28 at 4:30 PM.


#73 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, #72 William and Mary 3
Singles
1. #43 Raul Morant-Rivas (TAMCC) d. Colin O’Brien; 6-3, 6-2
2. #125 Andrey Kumantsov (TAMCC) d. Stephen Ward; 6-0, 1-0, ret.
3. Mikhail Pavlov (TAMCC) d. Billy Mulligan; 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
4. Alex Cojanu (W&M) d. Jose Zunino; 6-3, 6-3
5. Jan Cingel (TAMCC) d. Matt Rubenstein; 6-2, 6-4
6. Alexander Zuck (W&M) d. Jose Ycaza; 6-1, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 6, 4, 5, 1, 3

Doubles
1. #33 Cojanu/Mulligan (W&M) d. Kumantsov/Pavlov; 8-6
2. Morant-Rivas/Zunino (TAMCC) d. Rubenstein/Ward; 8-6
3. O’Brien/Kavi Sud (W&M) d. Cingel/Ycaza; 8-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1