CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson Tigers (8-6, 0-3 ACC) fought for three and a half hours at Duckworth Family Tennis Facility but narrowly dropped the match to the Virginia Tech Hokies (5-11, 1-4 ACC), 4-3.
The Hokies got off to a hot start, taking the win on Court 2 by a score of 6-2. Just as Matt Pitts and Jorge Plans Gonzalez were about to take the victory on Court 3, the No. 9 pair in Jordan Chrysostom/Fishback sealed the doubles point on Court 1, 6-3.
Ryuhei Azuma was dominant on Court 2 from the very beginning as he took the match, 6-2, 6-2 to tie the match up at 1-1. The Hokies responded with a win on Court 3, but Teodor Giusca brought the Tigers even at 2-2 with a win on Court 1 over No. 103 Ryan Fishback. Another win on Court 6 for the Hokies propelled them ahead to 3-2 with only one win to take the match. Jorge Plans Gonzalez battled back from down 2-6 to take the second set 7-6 and dominated the third set, 6-2. The Tigers and Hokies were tied at 3-3, but after an absolute battle, including several match points, the Hokies came out victorious on Court 4, clinching the match, 4-3.
Up next, the Tigers will be back home on Sunday, March 20 at Duckworth Family Tennis Facility as they play No. 11 Virginia. First serve against the Cavaliers will be at 1:00 p.m.
For complete coverage of the Clemson men’s tennis team, follow @ClemsonMTennis on Twitter and Instagram.
