Bears Shut Down Army In Neutral Site Clash

Sunday, February 16

Columbus, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

Army

2/16/2025 6:11:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

COLUMBUS, Ga. – Mercer yielded just five games in capturing a pair of doubles matches to collect the early team point, then cruised to a trio of straight-set wins in singles play on the way to a 4-0 rout of Army on Sunday afternoon at Columbus State University's John W. Walden Tennis Center.

It was the second win in the last three matches for the Bears (2-3) who used Sunday's decision to avenge last year's 4-1 setback to the Black Knights (3-4) in West Point, N.Y. The setback marked the second loss in the last three outings for Army who rolled into southwest Georgia fresh off of a 4-1 drubbing of visiting Marquette last weekend.

Newcomers Hod'Abalo Isak Padio and Amen Prince Gandonou needed just 26 minutes to deliver a 6-2 win on court No. 1, and Shingo Masuda / Howell Burns delivered the key doubles point two minutes later when they finished off a 6-3 win over Daniel Choi / Michael Zhang on court No. 3.

Gandonou went to work again in singles play, defeating Marcus Sebastain 6-2 and 6-0 on court No. 3 in just less than an hour, and senior Marceau Fouilhoux put the Bears on the cusp of another team win with a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Vishnu Bodavula. Junior Nemanja Stefanovic finished off the Black Knights about 10 minutes after that with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Armistead.

The Bears will wrap up their scheduled three-match swing away from home on Saturday when they make the short trip to Atlanta to take on Georgia State (2-5). First serves at Sharon Lester Tennis Center at Piedmont Park are scheduled for 2 p.m.