TAMPA, Fla. – Led by redshirt junior Jackson Moore (Bradenton, Fla./Georgia State) and sophomore Dean Tsamas (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay HS), the FGCU men’s tennis team finished Day One at the State of Florida Championships hosted by the University of South Florida, with a pair of solid singles wins on Friday.

Moore, returning this season after an injury, posted a convincing straight-sets victory over Timo Kranz, from North Florida, 6-3, 6-3.

Tsamas earned a comeback win against UCF’s Matthew Gladstone, 3-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-5). After dropping the first-set 6-3, he rebounded in the second-set winning, 7-6, before taking the super tiebreaker 10-5.

“Overall, I’m pleased with the guys’ effort today,” said head coach C.J. Weber. “It was a great day of competition but we have a lot to learn and grow from as a team throughout this entire season.”

Earlier in the day, the doubles tandem of senior Matthew Rock (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Fort Lauderdale HS/Jacksonville) and freshman Tianyu Bao (Bradenton, Fla./Bayshore HS) picked up an 8-5 doubles victory against USF’s Juan Carlos Acuna and Sebastian Hagn. In the second-round, Rock and Bao lost, 8-2, to FSU’s Anderson Reed and Dominic Catrone.

FGCU’s three-day stint at the State of Florida Championships will continue tomorrow and finish on Sunday in Tampa.

SINGLES A DRAW

Dean Tsamas (FGCU) def. Matthew Gladstone (UCF) – 3-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-5)

Juan Carlos Acuna (USF) def. Lance Lvovsky (FGCU) – 6-2, 6-3

SINGLES B DRAW

Juan Bolona (UCF) def. Gabriel Echeverry (FGCU) – 6-3, 6-1

Brian Alden (FSU) def. Collin Brown (FGCU) – 6-2, 7-6 (9-7)

Norbert Nemcsek (UNF) def. Mike Beiler (FGCU) – 6-2, 6-3

Sebastian Hagn (USF) def. Steve Binninger (FGCU) – 6-1, 6-1

Willy de Vilchez (USF) def. Tianyu Bao (FGCU) – 6-4, 6-2

Jackson Moore (FGCU) def. Timo Kranz (UNF) – 6-3, 6-3

DOUBLES DRAW

Matthew Rock/Tianyu Bao (FGCU) def. Juan Carlos Acuna/Sebastian Hagn (USF) – 8-5 (1st round)

Anderson Reed/Dominic Catrone (FSU) def. Matthew Rock/Tianyu Bao (FGCU) – 8-2 (2nd round)

Pedro Ast/Santiago Nieto def. Michael Beiler/Steve Binninger (FGCU) – 8-2 (1st round)

Wael Kilani/Federico Sabogal (USF) def. Dean Tsamas/Lance Lvovsky (FGCU) – 8-1 (1st round)