Bears Knock Off Georgia State For First Time In Program History

Wednesday, February 25

Macon, Ga.

2:30 p.m.

Mercer University

Georgia State

Bears Knock Off Georgia State For First Time In Program History

2/25/2026 7:49:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Sophomore Shingo Masuda cruised to a 6-0 decision in his deciding third set with Aleksandar Anglin to give home-standing Mercer the match-clinching point as the Bears held off a late charge by Georgia State to capture a 4-3 win over the Panthers on Wednesday at the Copelan Tennis Complex.

The triumph marked the third-straight win for the Bears (3-5) who used the outcome to snap a 17-year series drought against Georgia State who was a perfect 8-0 against the Orange & Black going into Wednesday's tilt. It was the fifth loss in the last six outings for the Panthers (3-5) who fell to 0-4 this season away from Atlanta.

The match was not without its drama, however, even from the very beginning. MU's tandem of Amen Prince Gandonou and Shingo Masuda rallied back from a 4-3 deficit in their No. 2 doubles matchup with Andrin and Aryan Singh to post a 6-4 decision, while Hod'Abalo Isak Padio/Nemanja Stefanovic saw their 5-3 lead dissipate at No. 1 singles before toughing out a 7-5 decision and clinching what would turn out to be the pivotal doubles point.

Padio and Stefanovic needed just less than 90 minutes to finish off their opponents at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, respectively that gave Mercer a 3-0 lead on the team scoreboard, but the visitors shifted the energy after that.

GSU got a three-set victory from Arthur Attrill at No. 3 singles and a straight-sets win from Andrin on Court No. 4 to pull to within a point, but Masuda iced the outcome by toughing out his fourth singles win of the traditional spring campaign. Singh was the benefactor of a second-set tiebreaker at No. 5 singles, as well as a 10-7 superset, that provided the final.

The Bears will open up a five-match stretch away from home on Wednesday and Thursday when they trek to Fort Myers, Fla., for a road matchup with Florida Gulf Coast (1-8), as well as a neutral site tilt with St. John's (6-1), at the FGCU Tennis Complex.