ELON, N.C. – Home for the first of five matches in a row at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, Elon University men’s tennis earned a 6-1 victory over Campbell on Thursday, March 2.
The win snaps a two-match skid for the Phoenix, moving Elon to 6-7 on the 2017 campaign. The defeat is just Campbell’s second of the season, as it now stands at 9-2 on the year.
“This is a good win for us back at home against a Campbell team that had been on a roll,” said Elon head coach Michael Leonard. “I was proud of the way we played today and how we were able to bounce back from a tough weekend. We needed to start our homestand with a win like this with some tough opponents coming here these next few matches starting Sunday against North Florida.”
The Rundown
Elon made quick work of the Camels in doubles with all three courts earning victories. Neal Port and Salvador Mijares first earned a perfect 6-0 win in 20 minutes at No. 3 before Petar Tomic and Chris Humphreys won 6-2 at No. 1 to clinch he point. Nearly simultaneously, Felipe Sarrasague and Taylor Foote finished a 6-4 win at No. 2 to sweep doubles.
The Phoenix continued the solid afternoon early in singles when Sarrasague won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1. At No. 6, Jacob Bicknell earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 over Fernando Clemente to make it 3-0 Phoenix. Louis Rico clinched the victory for Elon with a come-from-behind, 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 5.
With the match already decided, Campbell picked up its first point at No. 4, but the Phoenix pushed for two more victories at Nos. 2 and 3 with both Mijares and Tomic winning third set super tiebreakers.
Notes
– Rico trailed his first set 4-1 at No. 5 before winning 12 of the next 15 games to close out the match.
– Bicknell’s quick win at No. 6 marked his collegiate debut.
– Sarrasague has now won seven of his last eight singles matches dating back to Feb. 8.
– Elon is now 7-1 all-time against Campbell dating back to 2000. Elon’s first match as a Division I program on Feb. 17, 2000, stands as the only loss to the Camels to date.
Up Next
The Phoenix will remain home on Sunday, March 5, when it hosts North Florida. First serve is set for 11 a.m. at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.