AU men and women’s tennis teams sweep Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

By Aaron Smith | Sports writer

The Augusta University men and women’s tennis teams defeated Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Newman Tennis Center, both winning by 5-2 match scores. 

For the men’s team, AU seniors Ricard Rubio and Alvaro Quereda lost the first doubles match 6-3 against the Stallions’ Cheng En Tsai and Gaston Cantero. AU senior Lucas Bolle and freshman Daniel Szczupak rebounded wih a 6-2 doubles victory for the Jaguars over Ignacio Orgaz and Pham Phuong. AU freshman Tanguy Calicis and junior Herick Isago followed that up with a 6-0 victory over Saranphon Siriwanichkul and Jacorieon Bartell. 

In men’s singles, Rubio lost to Cantero 6-2, 6-4, and Bolle lost to Tsai 6-2, 6-2. Isago defeated Orgaz by scores of 6-1, 6-4. Szczupak won his match 6-1, 6-2 against Siriwanichkul. AU’s Quentin Cano Perez dominated his match with Pham 6-0, 6-0, followed by Artur Abyan Davydovskiy defeating Bartell 6-0, 6-0. 

For AU Coach Michael McGrath, this match was an indicator of how well the AU men’s tennis team (4-0) has played to open the season. 

“I think we’re off to a fast start,” he said. “We’ve been playing very well on both sides. Both the singles and doubles have been very solid lately.”

For the Augusta women’s team, senior Teresa Franco Dias and freshman Claudia Borbon Roca lost the first doubles match to ABAC’s Jou Chen Chen and Tiffany-Anne Beukes by a 7-5 score. AU freshman Julia De Macedo Moraes and junior Carlota Costa Manero lost 6-4 to Nicole Dufour and Yazmin Barrios. AU senior Edith Rueda Croda and freshman Lea Mocher dominated Ellie Black and Lilia Jerry 6-0. 

In women’s singles, Borbon Roca lost to Dufour 7-5, 2-6, 12-10. Macedo Moraes rebounded with a 6-2, 7-6 victory over Chen. Rueda Croda defeated Yazmin Barrios 6-2, 6-4. Franco Dias won her match against Black 6-0, 4-6, 6-1. Clara Bascunana deMiguel defeated Tiffany-Anne Beukes 6-4, 6-2, and Costa Manero defeated Patricia Principal Pineda 6-4, 6-0. 

McGrath said it will take a team effort for the AU women’s tennis team (4-0) to defeat Converse University on Sunday afternoon. 

“I think we have a good chance,” he said. “We’ve been playing well, but there’s some things we need to work on and address on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but the team is motivated and bought in to the program.”

Both Augusta teams will be in action against Converse on Sunday. The matches will be played at Newman Tennis Center.

Contact Aaron Smith at madsmith@augusta.edu.

AU’s Lucas Bolle hits a backhand in the win over Abraham Baldwin. At the top of page, Martin Hurtado shows his service form for the Jaguars. (photos by Cameron Watson)