Lions Spoil #3 Argonauts Season-Opener

February 9, 2007

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Freed-Hardeman, the ninth-ranked team in the NAIA, won five of six singles matches and dominated third-ranked West Florida, 7-2, Friday in the Argonauts season-opener at the Ralph "Skeeter" Carson Tennis Complex. West Florida (0-1) suffered only their fifth loss since the start of last season. Freed-Hardeman (2-0) knocked off their second straight ranked NCAA Division II ranked opponent. Freed-Hardeman defeated 13th ranked Valdosta State, 6-3, on Tuesday.

Freed-Hardeman took two of three doubles matches. The Lions big win was the unranked team of Alexandra Mayrat and Jelena Jovic upsetting the Argonauts top-ranked doubles team of Tammy Kevey (Auckland, New Zealand/Diocesan School for Girls) and Mandy Septoe (Port Elizabeth, South Africa/Auburn Montgomery). Anne Claire Beard (Villevaude, France/Chelles HS) and Renata Mattos (Brazil/Brenau Univ.) earned the Argonauts only doubles points in the third position.

West Florida did not fare well in singles, dropping five of six matches. Beard earned the Argonauts only win with a straight sets win in the sixth position. All five of West Florida's ranked singles players lost, including sixth-ranked Suzanna Cavalcante (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Horacio Bento), who had to retire in the third set of her match.

West Florida will look for their first win of the season on Saturday against 12th ranked South Carolina-Upstate. The match will begin at 12 p.m. EST in Columbus, Ga.

Match Results #1 Singles: Ayda Ardila (FHU) def. #6 Suzanna Cavalcante (UWF), 1-6, 7-6, 1-1 (ret.) #2 Singles: Alexandra Mayrat (FHU) def. #2 Tammy Kevey (UWF), 6-3, 6-2 #3 Singles: Jelena Jovic (FHU) def. #47 Mandy Septoe (UWF), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 #4 Singles: Kristina Vucenov (FHU) def. #35 Paola Arevalo (UWF), 6-0, 6-3 #5 Singles: Mireia Cano (FHU) def. #21 Renata Mattos (UWF), 7-6, 7-5 #6 Singles: Anne Claire Beard (UWF) def. Julianna Custa (FHU), 6-0, 6-4

#1 Doubles: A. Mayrat/J. Jovic (FHU) def. #1 T. Kevey/M. Septoe (UWF), 8-4 #2 Doubles: A. Ardila/Natalia Yanes (FHU) def. P. Arevalo/S. Cavalcante (UWF), 8-6 #3 Doubles: Carolina Bello/K. Vucenov (FHU) def. A. Beard/R. Mattos (UWF), 8-6