Tennis teams earn first-ever regional victories
April 25, 2008

Men's results vs. Lee (Tenn.)
Women's results vs. Mobile and Auburn Montgomery

MOUNT BERRY, Ga. — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's and men's tennis teams earned their first-ever victories Friday in the NAIA Region XIII Tournament.

The Gold Nuggets, ranked 21st nationally, defeated Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival and 18th-ranked Mobile 5-1 in the opening round. Xavier's 24th-ranked Gold Rush also advanced with a 5-0 victory over No. 16 Lee (Tenn.).

Top-ranked Auburn Montgomery, the four-time defending national and regional champion, defeated the Nuggets 5-0 in the semifinals. But Xavier (16-7), in the top 25 all season long, likely will be considered for an at-large bid to the national tournament next month.

Xavier's women won two of three doubles matches against Mobile, then won three singles matches in straight sets to avenge a 5-4 loss to the Lady Rams from two weeks earlier in the GCAC tournament final.

Xavier clinched the dual when Anastesia Opata defeated Claudia Borges 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. It was Opata's eighth consecutive singles victory and the sophomore's 14th in the past 15 matches.

The Gold Rush (15-8) led Lee 3-0 after the doubles and had won the first set in each of the six singles matches when rain started. After a two-hour delay, Mikhail Vaval-Desse and Mario Myles won their matches and gave Xavier its eighth consecutive victory and its first of the season against a ranked opponent.

In the women's semifinal, Xavier (16-7) won four games in five completed matches against Auburn Montgomery (27-0), which has a 36-match winning streak.

Because of the rain delay, Xavier's men's semifinal against two-time defending national champion Auburn Montgomery (21-1) was moved to 7:30 a.m. CDT Saturday. A victory would advance the Gold Rush to a noon final against Berry or Shorter.