Oct. 5, 2011

MERION STATION, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team lost its opening dual match of the 2011-12 season on Wednesday afternoon, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson by a 6-1 score. Junior Tommy Gates earned the lone point in the match for the Hawks.

Gates was triumphant over Ibrahim Shams, 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the second flight to earn the point.

Sophomore Dan Barrus battled tough in the first set of his third-flight singles match, dropping a tiebreaker, before capitulating to Yuri Gricheno, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Barrus and freshman Max Montague won their doubles match, 8-6, in the second flight, but the Knights took flights one and three to earn the point.

The Hawks are idle until October 20, when the ITA Regionals in Charlottesville, Va., roll around.

Fairleigh Dickinson 6, Saint Joseph's 1

Doubles
1. Arvis Berzins / Ibrahim Shams (FDU) def. Peter Cognetti / Jeff Kessler (SJU), 8-5
2. Dan Barrus / Max Montague (SJU) def. Yuri Gricheno / Marco Jemersic (FDU), 8-6
3. Mark Hemy / Peter Skvarka (FDU) def. Paul Ganev / Tommy Gates (SJU), 8-2

Singles
1. Berzins (FDU) def. Kessler (SJU), 6-2, 6-2
2. Gates (SJU) def. Shams (FDU), 7-6 (4), 6-1
3. Gricheno (FDU) def. Barrus (SJU), 7-6 (4), 6-3
4. Skvarka (FDU) def. Erik Thunberg (SJU), 6-2, 6-1
5. M. Hemy (FDU) def. Montague (SJU), 6-2, 6-1
6. Jemersic (FDU) def. Kristian Broaddus (SJU), 6-2, 6-4