VSU men’s tennis opens with 7-0 victory

Published 3:00 pm Thursday, February 8, 2024

MILLEDGEVILLE — In workman-like fashion, the top-ranked Valdosta State men’s tennis team opened the 2024 spring season with a 7-0 victory at Georgia College Tuesday afternoon.

The Blazers dropped a combined seven games in doubles to the Bobcats (0-3) as freshman Jerome Iaconi and junior Takeshi Taco won 6-3 at No. 2, while sophomore Jan Skerbatis and senior Christian Wedel won 6-1 at No. 3 to clinch the team point. The 2023 All-America tandem of junior Rodrigo Carvalho and senior Luca Mack won at the top spot, 6-3 for the doubles sweep.

Taco, ranked No. 4 nationally, cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory at the No. 3 spot over Noe Villen for a 2-0 lead, while Wedel, ranked No. 29 nationally, won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 singles for a 3-0 lead.

No. 16-ranked junior Boruch Skierkier won 6-3, 6-1, at No. 4 singles to win the match and Carvalho won 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 at No. 2 singles for a 5-0 lead. Mack, playing in his first action of the school year, won 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-4) at the top spot over Luka Sauer Jimenez and Iaconi also needed three sets to defeat Sergi Enzo at No. 6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2.

The Blazers returned home to open the 2024 home slate on Thursday versus Shorter in the Gulf South Conference opener. Both the men’s and women’s teams were battling Shorter on Thursday.