Men's tennis team wins battle of top five teams

The Eastern Florida State College men's tennis team defeated Cowley College in the first match of the Tyler Tournament Friday in Tyler, Texas.

The third-ranked Titans picked up a win over No. 5 Cowley 6-3. And they did it with a big start, sweeping the doubles matches.

The duo of Filip Sormaz and Salva Mulet teamed up to pick up a tight 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles while Fernando Belinchon Martinez and Ignacio Sendra won at No. 2 8-4 and the No. 3 doubles team of Johan Mottlau and Tomas Kurz won 8-5.

Up 3-0, Martinez icked up a straight set win against Haruki Okude 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 singles but Cowley College won at No. 2 and No. 3. The No. 3 singles match was the match of the day as Filip Sormaz split the first two sets with Luca Laurindo, forcing a tiebreaker. The pair played a tight tiebreaker with Laurindo winning 13-11.

At No. 4 singles, Pablo Garcia battled Wojciech Biela to a tiebreaker as Garcia lost the first set 7-5 and then won the second set 6-4 to force a tiebreaker. Biela edged Garcia 10-7 in the tiebreaker.

Mottlau won his match at No. 5 singles 6-1, 6-2 and Kurz won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6 singles.