HOUSTON, Texas - The top-ranked and undefeated Armstrong
Atlantic State men's tennis team knocked off defending NCAA
Division II champion Lynn University, 5-3, in the NCAA Division II
Men's Tennis quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon at Memorial
Park.
The Pirates (29-0) advance to the semifinals for the fourth time in
school history and will be looking to make their first-ever NCAA
Championship match. Lynn ends the season 18-6.
Armstrong Atlantic jumped on top after doubles, winning at No. 3
with Paul Bishop and Davor Zink over Axel Joachim and Kyle Hall,
8-4. The freshman duo of Rafael Array and Tim Johannsen at No. 1
doubles fell behind Lynn's duo of Lorenzo Cava and Tomas Racak,
4-0, but won eight of the next nine games to earn the hard-fought
8-5 victory. Lynn's point from doubles came at No. 2 with
Alessandro Sarra and Julien Carsuzaa defeating Robert Jendelund and
Christian Bergh, 8-4.
In singles, the Pirates got a quick singles win at No. 6 with Kevin
Sijmons' 6-2, 6-0 win over Alex Zara. Lynn fought back with
Carsuzaa's 6-1, 6-3 win over Jendelund at No. 2 singles, then
senior Davor Zink won a marathon second-set tiebreaker to defeat
Joachim, 6-4, 7-6 (11-9), at No. 5 singles to lead 4-2. Racak
knocked off Bishop at No. 3 singles, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to make the
match 4-3 - and at that point, the other two singles matches still
on the courts were both in third sets.
AASU enjoyed healthy leads in both third sets when Johannsen broke
the serve of Cava on match point to earn a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at
No. 1 singles. Array was at match point in his match against Sarra
when Johannsen's match finished, as the freshman led, 7-5, 4-6,
5-3, when it was decided.
The match was in direct contrast to the earlier season meeting
between the two teams, won by the Pirates, 8-1, on February 23 in
Savannah. AASU will face the winner of Hawaii Pacific and West
Florida on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the semifinal
match.
#1 Armstrong Atlantic State 5, #6 Lynn 3
Singles competition
1. #6 Tim Johannsen (AASU) def. #11 Lorenzo Cava (Lynn) 4-6, 6-2,
6-3
2. #14 Julien Carsuzaa (Lynn) def. #22 Robert Jendelund (AASU) 6-1,
6-3
3. #44 Tomas Racak (Lynn) def. #32 Paul Bishop (AASU) 7-6 (7-3),
7-5
4. Rafael Array (AASU) led Alessandro Sarra (Lynn) 7-5, 4-6, 5-3,
unfinished
5. Davor Zink (AASU) def. Axel Joachim (Lynn) 6-4, 7-6 (11-9)
6. Kevin Sijmons (AASU) def. Alex Zara (Lynn) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #6 Rafael Array/Tim Johannsen (AASU) def. #4 Lorenzo Cava/Tomas
Racak (Lynn) 8-5
2. Alessandro Sarra/Julien Carsuzaa (Lynn) def. #17 Robert
Jendelund/Christian Bergh (AASU) 8-4
3. Paul Bishop/Davor Zink (AASU) def. Axel Joachim/Kyle Hall (Lynn)
8-4
Match Notes:
Armstrong Atlantic State 29-0; National ranking #2
Lynn 18-6; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,2,5,3,1)
Patrick Rittenauer outlasted Francis Marion University senior
Franklin Emmanuel in three sets at No. 1 singles to give
fifth-ranked Barry University a 5-4 win over the 20th-ranked
Patriots, Thursday afternoon (May 15) in the quarterfinal round of
the NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis National Finals.
Francis Marion ends its season with a 19-6 record after making the
program’s deepest run ever into the national tournament.
Barry (21-4) advances into Friday’s semifinals.
The Patriots stunned the Buccaneers by taking two of the three
doubles matches. Freshmen Oshada Wijemanne and Dilshod Sharifi
defeated the fifth-ranked doubles team in Division II by an 8-4
score. On Thursday, the FMU duo beat the top-ranked doubles
squad.
FMU’s Karl Rogers and Matthew Keth won at No. 3 doubles 9-8,
with the tie-breaker being 7-5.
Barry quickly reversed the count by taking straight-set wins at the
No. 4, 5, 6 singles positions to lead 4-2.
Wijemanne, ranked 42nd nationally in singles, beat 18th-ranked Ales
Svigelj 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) at No. 2 singles and Sharifi won at the No.
3 spot 7-6, 7-6 (7-3) to even the match at 4-4.
At No.1 singles, Rittenauer, ranked 15th in singles, took the
opening set from 24th-ranked Emmanuel 7-5. The FMU senior rallied
to win the second set 6-4. Rittenauer then won the opening three
games of the third set en route to the 6-1 victory.
“I am so very proud of this team’s
accomplishments,” said FMU head coach Garth Thomson.
“Two weeks ago, this squad was the sixth-ranked team in its
own region, and today we came within one set of making the Final
Four. That shows a lot about their character. They believed they
could win the national title and they got closer than anyone would
have thought. Even in the match today, the guys kept finding ways
to make it competitive.
“Oshada and Dilshod played very well. They beat another Top-5
doubles squad and both won in singles to give us a chance.
“This has been a terrific ride. Next week I will probably be
able to sit back and really enjoy it even more.”
Both FMU tennis teams will remain in Houston until Sunday to assist
with NCAA’s community service projects.
NCAA II Men's Tennis National Finals (Quarterfinals) in Houston,
TX
Tennis Match Results
Francis Marion vs Barry
5/15/2008 at Memorial Park
#5 Barry 5, #20 Francis Marion 4
Singles competition
1. #15 Patrick Rittenauer (BARRY) def. #24 Franklyn Emmanuel (FMU)
7-5, 4-6, 6-1
2. #42 Oshada Wijemanne (FMU) def. #18 Ales Svigelj (BARRY) 6-3,
7-6 (7-4)
3. Dilshod Sharifi (FMU) def. Emanuel Fraitzl (BARRY) 7-6, 7-6
(7-3)
4. Andrew Sharnov (BARRY) def. Bastian Czwalinna (FMU) 6-1, 6-0
5. Roman Werschel (BARRY) def. Karl Rogers (FMU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Jakub Fejfar (BARRY) def. Dananjaya Mayadunne (FMU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Dilshod Sharifi/Oshada Wijemanne (FMU) def. #5 Ales
Svigelj/Patrick Rittenauer (BARRY) 8-4
2. Jakub Fejfar/Emanuel Fraitzl (BARRY) def. Dananjaya
Mayadunne/Franklyn Emmanuel (FMU) 8-4
3. Karl Rogers/Matthew Keth (FMU) def. Andrew Sharnov/Roman
Werschel (BARRY) 9-8 (7-5)
Match Notes:
Francis Marion 19-6; National ranking #20; Regional ranking #6
Barry 21-4; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,6,5,2,3,1)
NCAA II Men's Tennis National Finals (Quarterfinals) in Houston,
TX
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