In a matchup between two of the top teams in the Gulf South Conference, the 13th-ranked Ouachita Baptist University men’s tennis team knocked off and surprised No. 9 West Florida, 7-2, Friday afternoon at the Heflin Tennis Center.
In the first doubles match of the day, Mike Basler and Daniel Moser fell to Kevin Ducros and Sean Gunnels, 8-3. However, that would be all West Florida would get in doubles play as the Tigers took a 2-1 lead into singles action after the team of Jean Charles Diame and Pierre Tafelski defeated Patrick Bateman and Luis Arboleda, 8-3, and Jan Plewinski and Till Heilshorn beat Andrey Pozhidaev and Nathan Rosenfeld, 8-5.
In singles play, the Tigers (6-0) continued to show its dominance as Charles defeated Rosenfeld, 6-4, 6-2 and Heilshorn beat Pozhidaev, 7-5, 6-2, to put Ouachita on the cusp of winning the match. Plewinski, ranked No. 26, fell to Ducros, 6-3, 6-4, but the Tigers claimed the when Tafelski defeated Arboleda, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2. Szymon Judek toppled Bateman, 6-3, 6-1 and Moser handled Gunnels, 7-6, 6-4.
The brutal three-match stretch doesn’t get any easier as the Tigers look to remain perfect 1:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Heflin Tennis Center against No. 6 Cameron. Ouachita finishes the weekend 1:00 p.m., Sunday, March 1 at home against No. 11 Drury.
