CONWAY, S.C. – CAA Player of the Week Felipe Sarrasague was the deciding singles win once again as the Elon University men’s tennis team defeated Coastal Carolina, 5-2, on Tuesday, March 22, at the Coastal Carolina Tennis Complex.
Elon improved its record to 12-4 overall with a fifth straight victory and handed the Chanticleers its first loss at home since 2014. Coastal Carolina’s last loss at home was on April 9, 2014, a 4-3 loss to Liberty. The Chanticleers falls to 13-3 overall this season with the loss.
“It was a quality win for us against a really good Coastal Carolina team,” said head coach Michael Leonard. “It was a total team effort from everyone on the court today and they earned this win. We are looking forward to our upcoming home matches, starting on Tuesday night against UNCG.”
HIGHLIGHTS
The Phoenix took the early 1-0 advantage after winning a hard-fought doubles point. After No. 2 doubles duo Robert Lindgren and Mario Paccini won their fifth consecutive doubles match convincingly 6-3, Vuk Velickovic and Pedro Leme earned a 7-6 (7-1) win at No. 1 to tie up the doubles point. The point would be decidied on a tiebreaker at No. 3, as Neal Port and Slavador Mijares prevailed with a 7-6 (7-5) victory.
Petar Tomic gave the Phoenix a 2-0 lead earning Elon’s first singles win with a 6-3, 6-2 victory at the No. 5 position. Mijares extended the lead 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-2 decision at No. 4 singles, but the Chanticleers got on the board with at win at No. 6 to make it 3-1 in the match.
Sarrasague clinched a Phoenix victory for the third consecutive match, coming back from a first set defeat to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 against Velickovic at the No. 2 position. Jabor Al-Mutawa took Paccini to a third set and earned a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win for Coastal Carolina’s final point.
Lindgren wrapped up Elon’s 5-2 win with sixth straight singles win on court three. The senior won his team-high 11th match of the season in a gutsy 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) victory over Leme.
UP NEXT
The Phoenix will return to the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center next week on Tuesday, March 29, for an evening contest at 6 p.m. against UNCG.
Tennis Match Results
Elon vs Coastal Carolina
Mar 22, 2016 at Conway, S.C.
(Coastal Carolina Tennis Complex)
Elon 5, Coastal Carolina 2
Singles competition
1. AL-MUTAWA, Jabor (COASTALM) def. Mario Paccini (ELON) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
2. Felipe Sarrasague (ELON) def. VELICKOVIC, Vuk (COASTALM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Robert Lindgren (ELON) def. LEME, Pedro (COASTALM) 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7)
4. Salvador Mijares (ELON) def. SCHNEIDER, Sebastian (COASTALM) 6-1, 6-2
5. Petar Tomic (ELON) def. FARIA, Luiz (COASTALM) 6-3, 6-2
6. PLANCHARD, Nic (COASTALM) def. Felipe Osses-Konig (ELON) 6-3, 2-6, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. VELICKOVIC, Vuk/LEME, Pedro (COASTALM) def. Chris Humphreys/Petar Tomic (ELON) 7-6 (7-1)
2. Robert Lindgren/Mario Paccini (ELON) def. SCHNEIDER, Sebastian/AL-MUTAWA, Jabor (COASTALM) 6-3
3. Neal Port/Salvador Mijares (ELON) def. TIMMERMAN, Rick/FARIA, Luiz (COASTALM) 7-6 (7-5)
Match Notes:
Elon 12-4
Coastal Carolina 13-3, 3-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,4,6,2,1,3)