JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State's men's tennis squad dropped Saturday's home opener against Troy. The rivalry match fell in favor of the visitors from Pike County, 5-2, as a hot start helped them roll to a big win at the Jax State Tennis Courts. 
 
"We were a shell of ourselves today, unfortunately," head coach Trey Morris said. "It was going to be a matter of who handled the elements better, and we didn't. Both sides let some of the environment take over, but Troy did a better job of handling it and that was the difference."
 
The Trojans (8-1) raced out to an early lead by claiming the match's opening point. Although Marko Milosavljevic and Zach Murphy were battling in the top flight, 6-4 and 6-3 setbacks in the other two courts had the Gamecocks (3-4) trailing as singles play approached. 
 
Troy tallied three two-set triumphs in one-on-one action to take the match before Jax State got on the board. Matei Palcau survived a 6-1, 0-6, 7-5, thriller in No. 6 singles and Xavier Sarda Marti completed a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, comeback on court four, but those decisions did not change the end result of Saturday's showdown.
 
"It was a tight match that really could've gone either way, and it came down to a few points here and there," Morris said. "We'll take care of ourselves tonight, bounce back, and get ready for tomorrow."
 
The Gamecocks continue home-opening weekend at the Jax State Tennis Courts on Sunday. They host former ASUN foe Lipscomb at 11 a.m., then finish the doubleheader with a 3 p.m. showdown with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Admission is free to both matches. Fans unable to attend can follow along with the live stats link provided at JaxStateSports.com. 
 
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