The fourth-ranked Valdosta State University men's tennis team fought back hard following a loss 17 days earlier to second- ranked University of West Florida by knocking off the two-time defending GSC men's tennis champions with a 5-3 victory in the finals of the GSC Men's Tennis Tournament in Valdosta, Ga.

The loss was also the first of the season for the Argonauts, who fall to 29-1.

The first doubles match of the championship featured two of the top 10 doubles teams in the nation.

In the end, Valdosta State's ninth-ranked duo of Eduardo Rincon and Heiko Wunderlich topped UWF's 10th-ranked doubles team of Radovan Chrz and German Dalmagro 5-3.

After the Argos tandum of Mario Vergara and Paulius Jurkenas won a hard fought 8-6 match over Christoph Schneider and Norman Weidle, Valdosta State came back with an 8-2 triumph by Peter Kreutzfeldt and Philipp Laucht over Guillaume deVerbizier and Mark McGuigan.

Five of the top 25 singles players in the nation were on the court for the top three singles matches.

Valdosta State had the upper hand in the top two matches. The Blazers seventh-ranked Rincon knocked off sixth-ranked Jurkenas, 6-2, 6-4. Twenty-fifth ranked Schneider followed with a 7-5, 6-3 upset of ninth-ranked deVerbizier.

UWF's 22nd-ranked Chrz helped the Argos get back on track with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Kreutzfeldt, and Vergara also posted a 6-4, 6-2 win over Wunderlich. Valdosta State finished off the scoring with Laucht posting a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Jonas Mouly.

UWF will now prepare for the upcoming NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament from May 7-9.

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