Staff Reports
Staff Reports
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State picked up a win against South Carolina-Aiken, 7-2, in the men’s first match of the season Saturday.
The Blazers started strong in doubles with two wins. Daniel Dueren and Christian Hansen teamed up for an 8-5 victory, while Otto Lenhart and Konstantin Kutschenko won by the same score. Philip Pakebusch and Michael Kuech fell to Aiken, 8-6.
In singles, the Blazers dominated. The tightest match of the day came in the second spot. Dueren won the first set, 7-6 (5), but dropped the second set, 4-6. In the final set, he pulled ahead 11-9 to win it.
Pakebusch, Hanson and Lenhart each took care of business in just two sets. Pakebusch won, 6-1, 6-3, while Hanson took his match, 6-2, 6-4. Lenhart won by matching 6-2 sets.
Kutschenko won his match in two closely contested sets. Both went to tiebreakers, but he won, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).
Kuech dropped his first set, 4-6, but bounced back with a dominating second set, 6-1. He could not win the third set as USC-Aiken took it, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
The Blazers’ next match will be on Thursday at Georgia College.
