MMI Tigers Defeat Stillman Tigers, 6-3, in a Classic Clash

Marion, AL—The MMI men's tennis team clawed its way to a 6-3 victory over the Stillman College Tigers yesterday afternoon at the Paul B. Anderson Tennis Complex.  After securing a 2-1 lead in the doubles matches, the MMI Tigers turned up the heat in singles play, winning four of the six matches.

Ahmed Gonna and Patrick Ryder, MMI's No. 3 doubles team, scored MMI's first point of the afternoon with a fine 8-1 win over Stillman College's Jose Pojasi and Eddie Symmonett.  Stillman College's James Hernandez and Juan Garcic claimed the No. 2 doubles point with an 8-4 win.  And in the doubles match of the afternoon, Morgan Hale and Andrew Wright, MMI's No. 1 doubles team, reeled off the last three games of the match to down Jangeon Lee and Yonwaba Pupuma.

Headed into singles play with a 2-1 lead, the MMI Tigers quickly extended their lead to 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-1 win by Hale at No. 2 singles.  No. 3 singles (Wright) and No. 5 singles (Ryder) went the three-set distance, with Wright pulling out a come-from-behind victory over Hernandez, 3-6, 7-6 (10), 10-8, and Pojasi turning the tables on Ryder, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 10-6.

Gonna then scored the Tigers' fifth point of the afternoon with a solid 6-3, 6-1 win over Garcic to clinch the match for the MMI Tigers.  At No. 1 singles, MMI's Kaiser De Leon lost to Lee, 6-1, 6-2, and Javier de Claire rounded out the scoring for MMI with a fairly comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles.

The Tigers head to Tuscaloosa this Sunday (September 21) to take on Stillman College on their home courts in a 2:00 p.m. match.

 pictured is Morgan Hale