February 3, 2012

By Matt Green

ROME -- Columbus State University started fast by sweeping all three doubles matches and ended strong with five wins in six singles competitions en route to an 8-1 victory over 10th-ranked Shorter University in non-league men's tennis action on Friday at the Rome-Floyd Tennis Center.

Columbus State (1-0), members of the NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference, dropped only the No. 1 singles match in the victory. Shorter falls to 1-1 after defeating North Georgia yesterday in its 2012 season opener.

Guillaume Ledrap posted Shorter's only win in that No. 1 singles slot. Ledrap defeated Columbus State's Martin Shishkov 6-3, 7-5 to notch Shorter's lone point.

Shorter's Romain Ferriera took Columbus State's Quentin Rayniere to three sets, but ultimately fell 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.

Weather permitting, the Hawks will play their third match in three days when they travel to Franklin Springs, Ga., on Saturday, Feb. 4 for an early Southern States Athletic Conference match with Emmanuel College.

Columbus State 8, #10 Shorter 1

Doubles:

1: Gordan Divljak / Quentin Rayniere (CSU) def. Guillaume Ledrap / Romain Lefevre (SU), 8-3

2: Martin Shishkov / Danilo Sardelli (CSU) def. Romain Ferriera / Florain Etienne (SU), 8-5

3: Adi Malicbegovic / Michael Trebuhov (CSU) def. Colt Kelley / Arturo Lifshitz (SU), 8-3

Singles:

1: Ledrap (SU) def. Shishkov (CSU), 6-3, 7-5

2: Divljak (CSU) def. Lefevre (SU), 6-3, 6-0

3: Rayniere (CSU) def. Ferriera (SU), 7-6, 2-6, 6-2

4: Oussama Zoghlami (CSU) def. Lifshitz (SU), 6-3, 6-4

5: Trebuhov (CSU) def. Etienne (SU), 7-5, 6-1

6: Sardelli (CSU) def. Kelley (SU), 6-1, 6-0