LMU, Wingate Advance To Championship Of Food Lion SAC Men’s Tennis Tournament

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Top seed Lincoln Memorial University advanced to the 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis championship match, defeating No. 4 Mars Hill, 5-0.

LMU went 3-0 in the doubles matches. Philipp Hoffmann combined with Tom Goossens to record the first point of the match at No. 1 doubles, defeating Mars Hill's Alessandro du Besse and Koeche Smith, 8-4. Zack Jones and Gabor Heredi-Szabo put the Railsplitters up 2-0 with their victory at No. 3 doubles, topping Bradley Bassinger and Carlos Oyaga, 8-4. Hannes Ganss and Bastian Guenther completed the sweep for Lincoln Memorial at doubles No. 2, picking up a 9-7 victory over Stevan Stankovic and Lucas Simm.

In singles competition, the Railsplitters took their fourth point as Ganss topped du Besse on court No. 1 in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. Lincoln Memorial completed the match on court No. 2 as Hoffmann defeated Smith in a tightly contested match, as the SAC freshman of the year won, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)

Mars Hill most likely ends the season with a 7-11 record with their semifinal loss.

Lions Head Coach Jarod Camerota had the following to say after the match. "I'm proud of my guys for battling today. I couldn't ask for more from them. LMU played a great match today, and we got beat."

Lincoln Memorial advances to the 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference men's tennis championship match against #2 Wingate, held at the Rock Hill Tennis Club tomorrow afternoon at noon. The Bulldogs advanced to the SAC Tournament finals with a 5-4 win over No. 6 seed Brevard in the semifinals on Friday.

"The Railsplitter men have just performed all season and today's opponent was a true test," commented LMU Head Coach Benny Collins. "I think Mars Hill was a true test and now the men are in position to close out tomorrow if they focus and play like they are capable of."

2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Tournament
Apr 23, 2010 at Rock Hill, S.C. (Rock Hill Tennis Center)
No. 1 Lincoln Memorial 5, No. 4 Mars Hill 1

Singles competition
1. Hannes Ganss (LMU) def. Alessandro du Besse (MHCM) 7-5, 6-4
2. Philipp Hoffmann (LMU) def. Koeche Smith (MHCM) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Bastian Guenther (LMU) vs. Lucas Simm (MHCM) 3-6, 4-3, unfinished
4. Gabor Heredi-Szabo (LMU) vs. Stevan Stankovic (MHCM) 6-3, 4-6, unfinished
5. Carlos Oyaga (MHCM) def. Andras Pauko (LMU) 7-5, 3-2
6. Tom Goossens (LMU) vs. Bradley Bassinger (MHCM) unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Philipp Hoffmann/Tom Goossens (LMU) def. Alessandro du Besse/Koeche Smith (MHCM) 8-4
2. Hannes Ganss/Bastian Guenther (LMU) def. Stevan Stankovic/Lucas Simm (MHCM) 9-7
3. Zack Jones/Gabor Heredi-Szabo (LMU) def. Bradley Bassinger/Carlos Oyaga (MHCM) 8-4
Match Notes
No. 4 Mars Hill 7-11
No. 1 Lincoln Memorial 18-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (,1,2)
2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Semifinals
Hoffman clinches match at No. 2 singles
Lincoln Memorial will play in championship match Saturday at noon

Wingate 5, Brevard 4

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Fernando Montemurro clinched the victory for the No. 2 Bulldogs on singles court No. 6 to advance Wingate to the championship match of the 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis tournament.

The Tornados took a 2-1 lead after doubles play. Cole Altizer and Jarred Fisher struck first blood on the afternoon, recording an 8-5 victory on court No. 2 against Fernando Montemurro and Greg Machado. Wingate evened the match on court No. 3 as Andrew Owen and Matthew Lichtenstein topped Jonathan Kuhn and Andrew Thompson, 8-5. The Tornados took the lead heading into singles on court No. 1 as Scott McCormick and Dorian Feron battled their way to a 9-8 (9-7) win over Bruno Pudence and Flavio Rathsam.

In singles competition, Rathsam evened the score at two with a straight set victory on court No. 5 over Feron, 6-3, 6-0. Lichtenstein gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the afternoon, defeating Altizer in straight sets on court No. 2 to put the score back at 3-2, after his 6-4, 6-4 victory. McCormick tied the match back up with his 6-1, 7-6 win on court No. 1 over Pudence.

Victories by Wingate's Braeden Patchell on court No. 4 and Brevard's Andrew Thompson on court No. 3 left the match tied at 4-4, with the singles match on court No. 6 the only one still in play.

On court No. 6, Montemurro and Shane Apps battled through the first set, with Montemurro winning 7-6 (7-4). The Wingate junior then put the match away with a 6-1 second set victory to seal the match.

Brevard most likely ends the season with an 8-12 record with their semifinal loss.

"I'm going to miss all of these seniors," said Brevard Head Coach Paul Thomson. "I had hoped for a happier ending to their careers, but the guys and girls should be very proud of the work they have done over the last four years."

Wingate advances to the 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference men's tennis championship match against No. 1 Lincoln Memorial, held at the Rock Hill Tennis Center Saturday at noon. The Railsplitters advanced to the SAC Tournament finals with a 5-0 win over No. 4 seed Mars Hill in the semifinals on Friday.

"It was a fight out on the courts today. We were lucky to win, Brevard left it all on the court and really pushed us to the brink," said Wingate Head Coach Michael Cabana. "I'm excited about the opportunity to play LMU for the tournament championship tomorrow. We are going to have to play better to win, but we look forward to the challenge."

2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis
No. 2 Wingate University 5, No. 6 Brevard College 4
Apr 23, 2010 at Rock Hill, S.C. (Rock Hill Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. Scott McCormick (BC) def. Bruno Pudence (WIN) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Matthew Lichtenstein (WIN) def. Cole Altizer (BC) 6-4, 6-4
3. Andrew Thompson (BC) def. Andrew Owen (WIN) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Braeden Patchell (WIN) def. Jarred Fisher (BC) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
5. Flavio Rathsam (WIN) def. Dorian Feron (BC) 6-3, 6-0
6. Fernando Montemurro (WIN) def. Shane Apps (BC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Dorian Feron/Scott McCormick (BC) def. Bruno Pudence/Flavio Rathsam (WIN) 9-8 (9-7)
2. Cole Altizer/Jarred Fisher (BC) def. Fernando Montemurro/Greg Machado (WIN) 8-5
3. Andrew Owen/Matthew Lichtenstein (WIN) def. Jonathan Kuhn/Andrew Thompson (BC) 8-5

Match Notes
No. 6 Brevard College 8-12
No. 2 Wingate University 14-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (,5,2,1,4,3,6)
2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Semifinals
Montemurro clinches the match at singles No. 6
Wingate advances to face #1 Lincoln Memorial Saturday at noon