No. 1 Pirates Advance To PBC Tournament Final

JONESBORO, Ga. - The top-ranked and second-seeded Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team moved into its fifth consecutive Peach Belt Conference tournament championship match with a 5-0 win over eighth-ranked Columbus State on Saturday afternoon in Jonesboro, Ga.

The Pirates (23-1) will try to defend its tournament title at Noon on Sunday against No. 5 seed and ninth-ranked USC Aiken, a 5-3 upset winner of top-seeded GCSU.

AASU swept the three doubles points, then picked up two straight set singles wins to clinch the match. Fifth-ranked Paul Bishop and Mikk Irdoja notched a 9-7 win over eighth-ranked Frank Suarez and Luis Gonzalez at No. 1 doubles. Tenth-ranked Rafael Array and Tim Johannsen beat Dimitri Caron and Paul van Rensburg, 8-5, at No. 2 doubles, while Eudaldo Bonet and Akos Torok picked up an 8-5 win over Diego Motivar and Nemanja Djuric, 8-5, at No. 3 doubles.

Bonet, ranked second in the nation in singles, then picked up a 6-3, 6-4 win over 16th-ranked Suarez and Array notched a 6-0, 6-0 win over van Rensburg at No. 5 singles to give the Pirates the victory.

AASU has won the last four PBC Tournament titles and has won 14 straight league tournament matches, dating back to 2004.