Men’s tennis wins Sun Belt Conference Championship

The Troy Trojans men’s tennis team won the Sun Belt Championship after beating Louisiana Lafayette and South Alabama on April 18-19, while the women’s team fell in the first round to UT Arlington.

On Friday, April 17, the Troy women’s team put on a poor showing against UT Arlington in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Troy pulled out only one singles match, and consequently doubles matches were not played.

Freshman Jiayuan Xue won her match 7-6, 7-6 against sophomore Astrid Gehre, and prevented the Trojans from being shut out.

The Trojan men were far more successful in New Orleans at the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Troy was seeded No. 1 in the Sun Belt tournament, which gave it a bye in the first round. The Trojan men are currently ranked No. 60 nationally.

The men’s team took on Louisiana Lafayette in the semi-finals on Saturday, April 18.

Junior Gabriel Dias won his line one singles match against junior Edgar Lopez 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Sophomore Hassan Ndayishimye won his line two singles match 7-5, 6-3 against junior Jake Wynan.

At line four singles, junior Daniel Bustamante won his match against sophomore Will Huyton 6-3, 6-1.

Sophomore Pablo Moreno defeated senior Jarred Wynan at line five doubles 6-3, 6-2.

Line three was lost by freshman Andy Lau and line six was unfinished for junior Giovani Samaha. Doubles matches were not played.

Troy went on to the finals on Sunday, April 19, to take on No. 69 South Alabama.

Ndayishimye won his line two singles match against junior Tim Srkala 6-2, 6-0.

Moreno won his line five singles 6-0, 7-6 against freshman Olivier Gingras.

Samaha defeated junior Gerhard Gruindelingh at line six singles 7-5, 6-3.

Dias and Lau won line two doubles 8-6 against Srkala and senior Manuel Belda.

Sophomore Andre Baldo and Ndayishimye won line three doubles against sophomore Tuki Jacobs and junior Juan Troglia 8-5.

Lau’s and Dias’s singles matches were unfinished, and Samaha and Moreno lost line one doubles.

“Today was a special moment for me to walk onto the tennis courts with an amazing group of young men,” head coach Scott Kidd said.  “Their spirit, determination and commitment during the Sun Belt Championships set them apart from all the other teams.”

Thanks to Troy’s win, it will head to the NCAA Regional competition on May 8-10 on campus sites.

On Monday, April 20, Kidd was officially named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year.

In his second year of coaching the Trojans, Kidd’s team finished with a 25-6 record and was undefeated in Sun Belt matches.