Box Score VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 19 Valdosta State men's tennis team opened the 2020 season and came up just short in a 4-3 loss to No. 6 Lander Sunday afternoon at the VSU Tennis Complex.
 
The Blazers won at No. 1 doubles as senior Yohan Nguyen and junior Florian Simbozel made quick work of Lander's Axel Croje and Guillaume Tuttevin, 6-2.  The Bearcats ultimately won the doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 3, as Adam Ellignet and Matthew De Groot downed sophomore Robert Cizek and freshman Edward Etty, 6-3 at No. 2. 
 
The third doubles matchup was a back-and-forth affair as Kim Oshiro and Tommaso Rossin held off the Blazer duo of freshman Luca Mack and junior Adam Kalivoda, 7-5.
 
In singles, Nguyen, ranked No. 7 nationally, downed Elliget 6-2, 6-1 for a 1-1 score.  Mack responded nicely at No. 4 as he downed Stanimir Petrovic, 6-3, 6-2 for a 2-1 Blazer lead and VSU moved within a point of winning the match at No. 2 as Simbozel downed Tattevin, 7-6, 6-3 at No. 2.
 
From there, the Bearcats roared back as Thomas De Negri downed Etty at No. 3, 6-3, 6-1 for a 3-2 score.  Lander then evened the match at three as Oshiro defeated Kalivoda 6-4, 6-4. 
 
In the final match, Cizek won the first set against Jamieson Nathan at 6-3, but Nathan responded with a 6-3 win in the second set, forcing the match to a third and decisive set.  Nathan pulled out the win in the third, 6-3. 
 
The Blazers continue at home on Friday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. versus Georgia College at the VSU Tennis Complex.