CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The 25^th-ranked Lee University men's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 3 Valdosta State University Wednesday afternoon at the DeVos Tennis Center. The Flames dropped to 6-2 and 1-2 in Gulf South Conference matches, while VSU improved to 9-0, 4-0 GSC.

Wihan van der Merwe and Stefan Mos opened doubles competition with a 6-3 defeat of Boruch Skierkier and Jan Skerbatis at the third position. Edgar Destouet and Arthur Bord held off Filipe Krohn and Jackson Vaughan 6-4 to even the doubles score at 1-1. Quinn Groenendijk and Jip Langerhuizen upset the 5^th-ranked team of Xaveam Van Wijk and Takeshi Taco 7-5 at No. 1 singles to secure the doubles point for Lee.

Taco, ranked No. 2, put the Blazers on the board with a 6-3, 6-4 win over van der Merwe at No. 1 singles. No. 17 Destouet posted used a 7-4 second-set tiebreaker to beat Krohn at No. 3 singles.

Langerhuizen was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Skerbatis to even the team score at 2-2. Skierkier, ranked No. 5, put VSU within one point of clinching with a 6-2, 6-4 win against Groenendijk.

Mos battled Julien Doitteau through a three-set match to leave the No. 6 singles contest between Van Wijk and Rytis Razminas to decide the team contest. Mos won the opening set 6-4, Doitteau posted an 8-6 tiebreaker in the second set and Mos won the third set 6-2.

At No. 6 singles, Van Wijk outscored Razminas 7-3 in a tiebreaker to win their opening set 7-6 and held on for a 6-4 margin to turn away Lee's upset bid.

The Flames continue with a stretch of GSC matches on Friday against Delta State University. The contest is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the DeVos Tennis Center.
 

Coach Patric Hynes' Thoughts:
"Our guys played really well today, we couldn't have asked for more from them. That's easily a top 5 team; they have quality all through their lineup. If we can find a way to replicate this kind of effort and fight, we are a difficult team to play against."