14th-ranked Gold Rush beat 17th-ranked RedHawks 6-3
February 18, 2011

Results

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Zach Taylor and Hassan Abbas scored in doubles and singles Friday to lead NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 6-3 men's tennis victory against No. 17 Martin Methodist.
     Xavier is 6-2, and Martin Methodist is 0-1.
     Taylor and Abbas scored the first point of the dual when they defeated Vinicius Santos and Alvaro Morcillo 8-3 at No. 1 doubles. Abbas gave the Gold Rush a 4-1 advantage when he beat Renato Castro 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2 singles, and Taylor clinched the dual when he rallied for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory against Santos at the top flight.
     Xavier got its other points from Amir Rahbar and Jonathan Aubrey in an 8-6 No. 3 doubles victory against Castro and Alejandro Yanes, Steffen Giles-Osborn in a 6-0, 6-1 No. 3 singles victory over Morcillo and Sean Richardson in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph against Juan Suarez at No. 5 singles.
     The dual started outdoors at Tennessee State University's courts, but rain and wind forced the singles matches indoors to nearby Hadley Park Tennis Club.
     It was the first Gold Rush victory against a ranked opponent since beating Tennessee Wesleyan 5-3 last May in the NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala. Xavier, winner of six of its last seven duals, will remain in the city and play NCAA Division I member Tennessee State at 10 a.m. Sunday.