March 2, 2009
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery 
KENNESAW, Ga. - The young Kennesaw State men's tennis team fought valiantly but couldn't overcome the near-freezing temperatures and a talented Florida A&M squad as they fell 5-0 to the Rattlers at the KSU Tennis Complex on Monday afternoon.
"Those were some of the harshest condition imaginable," said Kennesaw State Director of Tennis Operations and Assistant Coach T.J. Greggs. "I am proud of the fact that we were able to focus during singles."
The Owls fell in an early hole that they couldn't climb out of after losing the doubles match. Tyler Mills and Michael Langel lost 8-3 to Artiom Podgainii and Simbarashe Happy at No. 1 while Andrew Suesserman and Simon Janik fell 8-4 at No. 2 to Michael Moore and Joshua Cameron.
Justin Suesserman and Lawrence Washington lost just their second match as a team after falling 8-2 to David Jackson and Paul Paige at No. 3. The loss moved the duo's record to 4-2 on the season.
Singles also proved to be a challenge as the Owls lost four-straight matches before the contest was called due to the worsening weather conditions.
Mills and Janik pushed their matches to three sets but couldn't keep the Owls in contention. Mills fell 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 to Podgainii at No. 2 while Janik let Jackson come back to win the No. 3 match 0-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Washington fell 6-3, 7-5 to Happy at No. 1 and Michael Moore closed out the match with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Andrew Suesserman at No. 4. Ryan Bouttell and Denis Sergeychik's matches were called off after the wind picked up and the temperatures continued to plunge.
The loss dropped the Owls to 2-4 on the season, and 2-2 at home. FAMU won their third straight and moved to 6-4 with the win.
The men's team will return to action on Friday when they welcome Buffalo to the KSU Tennis Complex for a match scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
Florida A&M 5, Kennesaw State 0
Doubles Results
1 Artiom Podgainii/Simbarashe Happy (FAMU) d. Tyler Mills/ Michael Langel (KSU), 8-3
2 Michael Moore/Joshua Cameron (FAMU) d. Andrew Suesserman/Simon Janik (KSU), 8-4
3 David Jackson/Paul Paige (FAMU) d. Justin Suesserman/Lawrence Washington Jr. (KSU), 8-2
Order of Finish: 1,3,2
Singles Results
1 Happy (FAMU) d. Washington Jr. (KSU) 6-3, 7-5
2 Podgainii (FAMU) d. Mills (KSU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
3 Jackson (FAMU) d. Janik (KSU), 0-6, 6-1, 6-3
4 Moore (FAMU) d. Suesserman (KSU), 6-2, 6-1
5 Paige (FAMU) vs. Bouttell (KSU), 5-4, did not finish
6 Cameron (FAMU) vs. Sergeychik (KSU), 3-1, did not finish
Exhibition: Forest Jenkins (FAMU) d. Mike Brazil, 7-5, 6-0
Order of Finish: 4,3,1,2
