LYNCHBURG, Va. – Xavier Sarda Marti's two-set triumph in the top flight clinched a decisive win for Jacksonville State men's tennis in Thursday's ASUN Tournament First Round match against ten-seed Eastern Kentucky. The Gamecocks claimed the doubles point and tallied two decisions to start singles play before Sarda Marti capped off their third sweep victory of the Spring.
 
"I've said all year that this is a team that's going to continue to get better, and that's what we showed today," associate head coach Trey Morris said after the win. "We have improved since the last time we played EKU and we're going to continue to improve the rest of this season. We got better today, we'll get better tomorrow, and we'll continue to grow."
 
Jax State (13-10), the seven-seed for this year's league tourney, picked up the opening point with ease at the Liberty Tennis Complex. A shutout victory for Logan Haga and Sarda Marti had them off on the right foot and a similarly dominant 6-1 showing in the no. 1 doubles flight by Vanja Dobrnjac and Lucius Soller helped secure a doubles win. In addition, the tandem of Konstantin Benneman and Alin Fatu held a commanding 5-2 advantage in their showdown on court two before the Gamecocks took the point.
 
Singles play was dominated by the Red-and-White. Benneman rolled to his second straight 6-0, 6-0, victory in the last court and Soller posted a 6-3, 6-1, result in the fifth flight. Jacksonville State held leads in each singles matchup before Sarda Marti's 6-1, 6-3, win over Third Team All-ASUN selection Moritz Mayer clinched the one-hour-and-39-minute match. Dobrnjac, Fatu, and Matei Palcau each won the first set of their respective tests before the winning point was tallied.
 
Thursday's result in Virginia marks Jax State's first postseason victory as an ASUN member since rejoining the conference, and their first conference tournament win since defeating Belmont, 4-2, in the Ohio Valley Conference Semifinals on Apr. 27, 2019.  
 
With their first-round thrashing of EKU, the Gamecocks advance to the ASUN Quarterfinals on Friday afternoon to face second-seeded Liberty (13-9). The Flames are a perfect 3-0 against Jacksonville State in the past two years after sweeping them, 7-0, at home on March 26.
 
"We're excited to be in the second round and to be moving on," Morris added. "We're ready for the next opportunity that's ahead of us. We're going to keep playing to win and keep taking our chances while progressing each day with the quality we possess. And we're excited for tomorrow's match against Liberty."
 
Friday's do-or-die match will begin at 12 p.m. CDT. Links to follow along with live stats will be provided at JSUGamecockSports.com.
 
The women, who also qualified as a seven-seed for the postseason, will open ASUN Tournament play Saturday morning against ten-seed North Alabama at second-seeded Stetson.
 
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateTN), Instagram (@JaxStateMTennis), and Facebook (Jacksonville State University Tennis) accounts.

Tennis Match Results
JSU vs EKU
4/13/2023 in Lynchburg, Va.
JSU 4, EKU 0
 
Singles Competition
 

1. Xavier Sarda Marti (JSU) def. Moritz Mayer (EKU) 6-1, 6-3
2. Alin Fatu (JSU) vs. Kristoffer Stahlbrand (EKU) 6-3, 2-3, unfinished
3. Matei Palcau (JSU) vs. Paul-Antoine Brazet (EKU) 6-0, 5-1, unfinished
4. Vanja Dobrnjac (JSU) vs. J. Anurag Reddy (EKU) 6-2, 3-1, unfinished
5. Lucius Soller (JSU) def. Arthuer Bugeaud (EKU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Konstantin Benneman (JSU) def. Esteban Platonoff (EKU) 6-0, 6-0

 
Doubles Competition
 

1. Vanja Dobrnjac/Lucius Soller (JSU) def. Moritz Mayer/J. Anurag Reddy (EKU) 6-1
2. Konstantin Benneman/Alin Fatu (JSU) vs. Arthur Bugeaud/Kristoffer Stahlbrand (EKU) 5-2, unfinished
3. Logan Haga/Xavier Sarda Marti (JSU) def. Paul-Antoine Brazet/Esteban Platonoff (EKU) 6-0