Box Score

Jan. 20, 2007

Results

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The University of North Florida men's tennis team came out charging against 15th-ranked Florida State in its season opener on Friday afternoon, but the Ospreys couldn't maintain their pace in dropping a 6-1 decision to the Seminoles at the Speicher Tennis Center.

The Ospreys (0-1) had the Seminoles (2-0) on the ropes during doubles play, winning at the No. 3 position when UNF's Javier Ferrin and Leonardo Gomes upended FSU's Bradley Mixson and Jonathas Sucupira, 9-7. The Ospreys fell 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, however, and narrowly missed capturing a point at the No. 2 position when the team of Elad Gabay and Eduardo Pereira fell 8-6 to FSU's Andrew Bailey and Maciek Sykut.

In singles play, UNF's Matias Sigal upended Ytai Abougzir 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 1 position, but the Ospreys couldn't rally for points anywhere else. UNF's Eduardo Pereira and Elad Gabay went to three sets at the No. 2 and 5 positions, respectively, but fell in close matches.

Pereira fell 6-3, 5-7, 10-4 to Sykut, who is ranked 76th nationally. Gabay lost 6-7, 6-3, 10-6 to Chris Cloer.

"We were up in singles and doubles and lost," UNF head coach Igal Buberman said. "We need to learn to play when we are up. That is something we have to learn, and we knew that coming into the season. It was a solid first effort, but we need to improve if we want to compete with the ranked teams on our schedule."

The Ospreys did play shorthanded on Friday due to an illness to Yuiti Lopes, who is expected to play a prominent role in the UNF lineup this year. The first- year player came down with a case of the chicken pox this week and was unavailable to play on Friday.

He will likely be unavailable on Sunday as well, when the Ospreys travel to Miami to take on the 11th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Match time is set for 11 a.m. in Coral Gables, Fla.