ELON, N.C. – The Phoenix took the doubles point and Felipe Sarrasague clinched the match with his ninth-straight singles victory as the Elon University men’s tennis team defeated the Furman Paladins, 6-1, on Sunday, April 10, at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
Elon (15-5) bounced back after a loss to College of Charleston on Wednesday with a victory against the Paladins (9-10). The Phoenix has now recorded 15 or more wins in a season for the third time in the last four seasons.
“I am proud to see the guys fight back and compete like they did today after a loss,” said assistant coach Cesar Vargas. “I’m proud of the fact that they came out and didn’t take this match lightly. This was a good learning experience for the team as we close out the season and get ready for the conference tournament.”
HIGHLIGHTS
The Phoenix clinched the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead in the match. No. 1 duo of Petar Tomic and Chris Humphreys secured the point, holding off a Furman rally with a 7-5 win. Robert Lindgren and Mario Paccini took the first doubles win with a 6-3 victory at the No. 2 position.
Felipe Osses-Konig got things rolling in singles action, earning a 6-1, 6-2 win at the No. 6 spot to give Elon a 2-0 lead in the match. Paccini picked up a 6-3, 7-5 win on court two to give Elon a 3-0 lead, positioning the Phoenix with a chance to clinch the match.
Sarrasague came through with his ninth-straight singles victory and sealed Elon’s win over Furman with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cameron Green. The freshman from Buenos Aires, Argentina now has a team-high 13 dual match singles victories this season.
“I’ve really embraced this opportunity to play at No. 1, since I used to play at No. 2, and the coaches have really increased my confidence,” said Sarrasague. “Losing the last match was a good way for us as a team to reset so would could play this match with a lot more energy and regain our confidence.”
Salvador Mijares and Lindgren gave the Phoenix a 6-0 lead in the match. Mijares earned a 6-3, 6-2 win on court four and Lindgren bounced back to win in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 3 position. Alex Steryous claimed Furman’s only point in the match, winning a third set tiebreaker against Tomic at No. 5 singles.
UP NEXT
Elon returns home for its regular season finale at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on Saturday, April 16, against East Carolina on Senior Day at 1 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
Furman vs Elon
Apr 10, 2016 at Elon, N.C.
(Jimmy Powell Tennis Center)
Elon 6, Furman 1
Singles competition
1. Felipe Sarrasague (ELON) def. Cameron Green (FUR) 6-3, 6-4
2. Mario Paccini (ELON) def. Matt Browne (FUR) 6-3, 7-5
3. Robert Lindgren (ELON) def. Ben Horst (FUR) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
4. Salvador Mijares (ELON) def. Josh Pistorius (FUR) 6-3, 6-2
5. Alex Steryous (FUR) def. Petar Tomic (ELON) 3-6, 7-5, 10-6
6. Felipe Osses-Konig (ELON) def. Luke Hoover (FUR) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Petar Tomic/Chris Humphreys (ELON) def. Ben Horst/Matt Browne (FUR) 7-5
2. Mario Paccini/Robert Lindgren (ELON) def. Alex Steryous/Cameron Green (FUR) 6-3
3. Josh Pistorius/Adam Steryous (FUR) def. Neal Port/Salvador Mijares (ELON) 6-4
Match Notes:
Furman 9-10, 3-2 SoCon
Elon 15-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,2,1,4,5,3)
T-2:35
A-86