NO. 16 FLORIDA STATE TOO TOUGH FOR MEN'S TENNIS: SEMINOLES SPOIL JASPERS' FOURTH STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCE
MAAC Sports
Tallahassee, Fla. (May 11, 2007)? Although hopeful of shocking the world of collegiate tennis, the Jaspers knew they faced their stiffest challenge of the season with No. 16 Florida State on the other side of the net. The host Seminoles put an end to Manhattan’s season by overpowering the Jaspers, 4-0, in an NCAA First Round match on Friday morning at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center.
Manhattan’s challenge became even greater when junior Peter Czink succumbed to injury during doubles play. Minutes after Diego and David Alvarado fell to FSU’s, 8-1, at third doubles, the Jaspers conceded the doubles point when Czink and teammate Zoltan Bus defaulted due to the ailment. Czink and Bus were leading the Seminoles’ Ytai Abougzir and Bradley Mixson at second doubles, 5-4.
Playing in the top slot, Sophomore Bogdan Borta and freshman Mihai Nichifor faced the nation’s No. 20 doubles tandem of Jonathas Sucupira and Sam Chang. The two Jaspers trailed 6-3 when the match was stopped so that singles play could begin.
Borta did not have an easy task at first singles either. He faced the nation’s 73rd ranked player in Sucupira. Borta took the first game of the opening set before Sucupira rallied for a 6-3 victory. Borta also took the first game of the second set before the match was ended when the Seminoles secured the team victory with Chang’s 6-2, 6-2 win over Bus at fourth singles.
Bus was originally slated to occupy the fifth singles slot, but Czink’s injury required head coach Nik Misra to quickly rearrange his line-up. Starting with Diego Alvarado’s move from fourth to third singles. Each of Manhattan’s bottom three singles players moved up a slot, and junior Filip Szymik stepped in to play sixth singles.
Although Bus, Deigo Alvarado, and David Alvarado all faltered when forced in their new positions on Friday, the three have remarkable careers to look back upon after they graduate later this month. Each of them contributed to each of Manhattan’s four consecutive MAAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships. The group made four NCAA appearances in as many years.
NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships First Round
No. 16 FLORIDA STATE 4, MANHATTAN 0
Doubles:
1. #20 Sucupira/Chang (FSU) vs. Borta/Nichifor (MC) 6-3 DNF
2. Abougzir/Mixson (FSU) def. Czink/Bus (MC) 4-5 (MC def.)
3. Sykut/Aubone (FSU) def. Alvarado/Alvarado (MC) 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2 (default)*
*-clinched win
Singles:
1. #78 Ytai Abougzir (FSU) vs. Bogdan Borta (MC) 6-3, 0-1, DNF
2. #123 Jean-Yves Aubone (FSU) vs. Mihai Nichifor (MC) 6-2, 5-0 DNF
3. Jonathas Sucupira (FSU) def. Diego Alvarado (MC) 6-0, 6-0
4. Sam Chang (FSU) def. Zoltan Bus (MC) 6-2, 6-2
5. Maciek Sykut (FSU) def. David Alvarado (MC) 6-1, 6-0
6. Chris Cloer (FSU) vs. Filip Szymik (MC) 6-2, 5-2 DNF
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 4*