Tampa, Fla. ? Senior Marcus Echtler (Venice, Fla.) defeated the nation's 84th-ranked player at #1 singles and sophomore Hicham Laalej (Meknes, Morocco) won at singles and doubles but it was not enough to give the Hatters (2-2) a victory over 54th-ranked USF on Friday as the Bulls took the match 5-2 at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts. Echtler's win is the first by a Hatter over a nationally-ranked foe this season.
Echtler defeated Mahmoud Ahmed, ranked 84th nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, in straight sets by scores of 6-1, 7-6 (5). Laalej followed that up with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win at #2 singles over Lucas Jovita, but that would be all the points Stetson would collect in the match. All other singles matches resulted in straight-set wins for the Bulls.
Laalej also teamed with junior Filip Kricka (Umag, Croatia) to win their #3 doubles match 8-4 against Hamed and Jamal Adderley. Echtler and freshman Gokay Celik (Istanbul, Turkey) put up a strong fight at #1 doubles before falling 8-6 to Daniel Daudt and Thomas Estrada.
"We were very close to taking the doubles point today; Marcus' and Hicham's match really could have gone either way," Head Coach Pierre Pilote said. "Both Marcus and Hicham had excellent singles wins against a USF team that I really think will be ranked in the top 30 soon. Now we must turn our attention to the tough road trip we have coming up next weekend."
The Hatters face their second of three consecutive nationally ranked opponents when they take on #46 South Alabama next Friday at 2 p.m. in Mobile, Ala. Stetson remains in Mobile to take on 32nd-ranked Clemson the next morning at 9 a.m.
