SAVANNAH, Ga. - The top-ranked and undefeated Armstrong Atlantic
State men's tennis team will head to Houston with an eye on the
school's first-ever NCAA DII Men's Tennis National Championship
after completing a 5-2 victory over No. 14-ranked GCSU on Friday
afternoon, earning the Pirates a berth in the Round of 16. Francis
Marion will join AASU there after coming back to beat Lander 5-4
and winning their first-ever NCAA regional.
The Pirates (27-0) jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead by capturing all
three doubles matches. The sixth-ranked duo of Rafael Array and Tim
Johannsen picked up an 8-4 victory over the 12th-ranked duo of
Erick Siqueira and Francis Yoshimoto at No. 1 doubles. Christian
Bergh and Robert Jendelund defeated Matthew Belenchia and Joao
Casagrande at No. 2 doubles, 8-2, while Paul Bishop and Davor Zink
knocked off Max Beliankou and Giovane Nucci, 8-2, at No. 3
doubles.
Singles play saw Zink jump out to a quick 6-3, 6-1 victory at No. 6
singles, but GCSU fought back to take two matches as Yoshimoto
collected a 6-3, 6-4 win over Jendelund at No. 2 singles and
Casagrande notched a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles before Array
clinched the match for the Pirates with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Nucci
at No. 4 singles - just like the freshman did in the PBC
Championship match on the same court against the Bobcats just two
weeks ago.
For FMU, senior Franklyn Emmanuel rallied at No. 1 singles to claim
a three-set win and give 20th-ranked Francis Marion University a
5-4 win over 13th-ranked Lander University, Friday afternoon (May
9) in a second-round match of the NCAA Division II Men’s
Tennis Tournament at Lander’s Joe Cabri Courts.
Francis Marion, which improves to 18-5, advances to the NCAA
Division II national finals (Sweet 16), May 14-17, in Houston,
Texas. Francis Marion will face Cameron University on Wednesday at
2:30 p.m.
FMU, ranked sixth in the most recent region poll, defeated the No.
2 and No. 4 ranked region teams in consecutive days to earn the
program’s fourth trip to the Division II finals, but the
first since 2001. The Patriots also advanced in 1998 and 1999.
The win was only third ever for Francis Marion over Lander in
Greenwood, and the first in 32 years.
Lander (18-7) took a 2-1 lead after doubles play with 8-6 wins at
the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. FMU’s Dananjaya Mayadunne and
Emmanuel kept FMU in the match with an 8-2 victory over T.C. Valle
and Henrik Willers at the No. 2 spot.
In singles, Francis Marion got wins from Oshada Wijemanne at No. 2,
Dilshod Sharifi at No. 3, and Karl Rogers at No. 5 to knot the
match at 4-4.
Emmanuel, ranked 24th nationally, lost the opening set 7-5, rallied
to win the second set 6-3, and then cruised to a 6-2 victory in the
third and deciding set. The native of Colombo, Sri Lanka, owns a
59-15 career singles record.
FMU head coach Garth Thomson expressed great pride and joy that the
Patriot men’s team would be joining the women’s team in
Houston at the NCAA finals. “What a day for Francis Marion
tennis. To beat Lander on its home court is an exceptional
accomplishment. I am very proud of the team. No one gave us much of
a chance after our fifth-place showing at the Peach Belt
Tournament, but you can’t count these guys out.”
The Pirates now head to Texas, where AASU will face the winner of
Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian in opening round action on
Wednesday, May 14, at Homer Ford Park at 4:00 p.m. in Houston.
#1 Armstrong Atlantic State 5, #14 GCSU 2
May 09, 2008 at Savannah, Ga. (AASU Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. Tim Johannsen (AASU) vs. Erick Siqueira (GCSU) 4-6, 4-3,
unfinished
2. Francis Yoshimoto (GCSU) def. Robert Jendelund (AASU) 6-3,
6-4
3. Paul Bishop (AASU) vs. Max Beliankou (GCSU) 7-6, 5-1,
unfinished
4. Rafael Array (AASU) def. Giovane Nucci (GCSU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Joao Casagrande (GCSU) def. Christian Bergh (AASU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Davor Zink (AASU) def. Matthew Belenchia (GCSU) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Rafael Array/Tim Johannsen (AASU) def. Erick Siqueira/Francis
Yoshimoto (GCSU) 8-4
2. Christian Bergh/Robert Jendelund (AASU) def. Matthew
Belenchia/Joao Casagrande (GCSU) 8-5
3. Paul Bishop/Davor Zink (AASU) def. Max Beliankou/Giovane Nucci
(GCSU) 8-2
Match Notes
GCSU 17-7; National ranking #14; Regional ranking #4
Armstrong Atlantic State 27-0; National ranking #1; Regional
ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,2,5,4)
2008 Men's Tennis Mid-Atlantic Region Final
T-2:15 pm A-125
NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Tournament 2nd-round match in
Greenwood, SC
Men’s Tennis Match Results
Francis Marion University vs Lander
May 09, 2008 at Greenwood, S.C.
#20 Francis Marion University 5, #13 Lander 4
Singles competition
1. #24 Franklyn Emmanuel (FMU) def. Guilherme Fonseca (LU) 5-7,
6-3, 6-2
2. #42 Oshada Wijemanne (FMU) def. Damien Cordesse (LU) 6-1,
6-2
3. Dilshod Sharifi (FMU) def. Henrik Willers (LU) 3-1, retired
4. Andre Ivarsson (LU) def. Bastian Czwalinna (FMU) 6-2, 4-2,
retired
5. Karl Rogers (FMU) def. T.C. Valle (LU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Juan Manrique (LU) def. Matthew Keth (FMU) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #25 Guilherme Fonseca/Damien Cordesse (LU) def. Oshada
Wijemanne/Dilshod Sharifi (FMU) 8-6
2. Franklyn Emmanuel/Dananjaya Mayadunne (FMU) def. T.C.
Valle/Henrik Willers (LU) 8-2
3. Carlos Benatzky/Andre Ivarsson (LU) def. Karl Rogers/Matthew
Keth (FMU) 8-6
Match Notes:
Francis Marion University 18-5; National ranking #20; Regional
ranking #6
Lander 18-7; National ranking #13; Regional ranking #2
NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Tournament 2nd-round match in
Greenwood, SC
Francis Marion advances to NCAA Division II Tournament, May 14-17,
in Houston,TX
Official: Rodney McAllister T-3:09 A-75
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