DeLass, Gvelesiani Lead Jackets Past Radord and Georgia Southern in Season Opener

Feb. 3, 2007

Atlanta - Jordan DeLass and George Gvelesiani defeated both of their singles opponents in straight sets to lift No. 27 Georgia Tech to wins over Radford, 5-2, and Georgia Southern,7-0, in Saturday's season opening double header at the Bill Moore Tennis Center giving the Jackets a 2-and-0 start to the season.

Play began at 10 a.m. with the Jackets sweeping Radford in doubles. David North and Gvelesiani paired to defeat Martin Sayer and James Lloyd, 9-7. DeLass and Eric Molnar downed Mehdi Benhammou and Luka Rista, 8-6 and, Jose Muguruza and Luke Rassow-Kantor defeated Zach Watson and Patrick Metham, 8-4.

Georgia Tech then went on to win all but two of their six singles matches with Radford including a straight set victory by DeLass over Metham, 6-1, 6-0 and Gvelesiani's 6-1, 7-6(6) defeat of Rista.

DeLass came back in the second-half of competition to down Georgia Southern's Emmanuel Nkoueleue, 6-2, 6-3 while Gvelesiani battled back from down to games to win the second set and defeat Borja Malet, 6-2, 6-4.

The only Jackets to fall Saturday where David North, ranked 36th in the country, defeated by Martin Sayer, ranked 38th, 6-3, 6-4 and, Muguruza who fell to Lloyd 6-3, 6-0.

Both Jackets rebounded in their next matches against Georgia Southern where North quickly dispatched Joris De Weerdt, 6-0, 6-1 and, Muguruza downed Matt Sands 6-2, 6-3.

Freshman Luke Rassow-Kantor made a strong debut Saturday earning two single victories, including a three set battle with Radford's Mehdi Benhammou and a straight set win over Georgia Southern's Greg Bekkers, 6-0, 6-4.

Also making his dual match debut was Freshman Austin Roebuck who came away with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over Georgia Southern's Phillip Prins.

The Jackets won every doubles match Saturday.

Tennis Match Results
Radford vs Georgia Tech
Feb 03, 2007 at Georgia Tech
#27 Georgia Tech 5, Radford 2
Singles competition:
1. Sayer, Martin (RU) def. David North (GT) 6-3, 6-4
2. Lloyd, James (RU) def. Jose Muguruza (GT) 6-3, 6-0
3. Jordan DeLass (GT) def. Metham, Patrick (RU) 6-1, 6-0
4. Luke Rassow-Kantor (GT) def. Benhammou, Mehdi (RU) 7-6 (7-1), 2-6, 6-2
5. George Gvelesiani (GT) def. Rister, Luka (RU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Scott Blackmon (GT) def. Watson, Zach (RU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
Doubles competition:
1. David North/George Gvelesiani (GT) def. Sayer, Martin/Lloyd, James (RU) 9-7
2. Jordan DeLass/Eric Molnar (GT) def. Benhammou, Mehdi/Rister, Luka (RU) 8-6
3. Jose Muguruza/Luke Rassow-Kantor (GT) def. Watson, Zach/Metham, Patrick (RU) 8-4



Tennis Match Results
Georgia Southern vs Georgia Tech
2/3/2007 at Georgia Tech
#27 Georgia Tech 7, Georgia Southern 0
Singles competition:
1. #36 David North (GT) def. Joris De Weerdt (GSUM) 6-0, 6-1
2. Jordan DeLass (GT) def. Emmanuel Nkoueleue (GSUM) 6-2, 6-3
3. Jose Muguruza (GT) def. Mattew Sands (GSUM) 6-3, 6-2
4. Luke Rassow-Kantor (GT) def. Greg Bekkers (GSUM) 6-0, 6-4
5. George Gvelesiani (GT) def. Borja Malet (GSUM) 6-2, 6-4
6. Austin Roebuck (GT) def. Philip Prins (GSUM) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition:
1. David North/Jose Muguruza (GT) def. Emmanuel Nkoueleue/Philip Prins (GSUM) 8-4
2. Jordan DeLass/Eric Molnar (GT) def. Joris De Weerdt/Greg Bekkers (GSUM) 8-5
3. Scott Blackmon/George Gvelesiani (GT) def. Mattew Sands/Neil Shine (GSUM) 9-8 (7-1)
Match Notes:
Georgia Southern 0-1
Georgia Tech 1-0; National ranking #27
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,1,2,4,5,6)