By Patrick Stumpf
DES MOINES, Iowa (GreenBayPhoenix.com)– Looking to build upon its first winning streak of the early season, the Green Bay men's tennis team returned to the court on Sunday afternoon against No. 39-ranked Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, falling 4-1 to the Bulldogs.
The match appeared promising from the get-go for the Phoenix, who was able to secure the doubles point after the duos of Leo Gomez Islinger and Florian Kraenzler as well as Howard Scott and Joey Leto won at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, 7-6 (7-5) and 6-4, respectively.
Despite sweeping the doubles round; however, Drake showed why it is among the top teams in all of collegiate tennis, as it answered by sweeping Green Bay four games to none in singles. Bulldogs' freshman Vinny Gillespie finished first by defeating Kraenzler, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 3 singles, before Phoenix freshman Matej Kostadinov dropped No. 6 to Tom Hands, 6-2, 6-4.
At No. 4 singles, Green Bay's Joshua Schramm battled Drake's Calum MacGeoch into a tie-break, but he ultimately fell, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4), while the senior Leto also fell in three sets to Ben Stride, 4-6, 7-6, 6-1, after taking the first set.
The Phoenix's No. 1 and No. 2 singles of Gomez Islinger and Scott did not finish.
The Green Bay men will return to the court this Friday, Jan. 12, against another nationally-ranked opponent, as it travels to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota.
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Singles competition
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1. Lott, Ben (DU) vs. Leo Gomez Islinger (GB) 6-4, 5-7, 4-3, unfinished
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2. Philips, Bayo (DU) vs. Howard Scott (GB) 6-7 (9-11), 6-3, 1-2, unfinished
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3. Gillespie, Vinny (DU) def. Florian Kraenzler (GB) 6-3, 6-0
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4. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Joshua Schramm (GB) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4)
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5. Stride, Ben (DU) def. Joey Leto (GB) 4-6, 7-6, 6-1
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6. Hands, Tom (DU) def. Matej Kostadinov (GB) 6-2, 6-4
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