Gold Rush beats Jackson State for 6th consecutive victory
February 21, 2010

Results

     JACKSON, Miss. — Xavier University of Louisiana, ranked 14th in the NAIA, defeated NCAA Division I opponent Jackson State 7-0 in a men's tennis match Sunday at Tennis Center South.
     The victory capped a 6-0 February — all road matches — for the Gold Rush (6-1), which won't play again until March 4. It was Xavier's fourth victory in five days.
     Playing without junior Mikhail Vaval, who was ill, Xavier won every set but one in a dual scored under NAIA rules. The doubles teams of Steffen Giles-Osborn - Hassan Abbas and Mario Myles-Sean Richardson gave Xavier a 2-0 lead. Richardson clinched the dual when he defeated Sergio Salinas 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 singles.
     "We went out there shorthanded because Vaval was sick and couldn't make the trip," Xavier Coach Alan Green said. "But we played as a team and really fought and pulled for each other."
     Jackson State had five available players too, so there was no competition at No. 3 doubles or No. 6 singles.
     The only singles match that went to a third set was Mario Myles' 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Navneetha Bhaskaran at the No. 3 flight. Abbas extended his singles winning streak to 12 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Vishesh Bhatia at No. 2.
     Giles-Osborn and Cameron Knowles recorded Xavier's other singles victories.
     "Although we won all the courts, it was a tough match," Green said. "This was not an easy win for us, but we need days like this."
     Xavier has nine dual victories in three seasons against NCAA D-I opponents.