LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The Lee University men's tennis team lost a pair of matches this weekend against teams rated in the top-21 of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's rankings. The Flames (8-6, 2-5 GSC) fell 8-1 to No. 21 West Alabama Sunday morning after losing at No. 12 West Florida, 9-0, on Saturday.
The Flames are scheduled to return to action on Thursday against Auburn University at Montgomery. The Gulf South Conference match is set for 2 p.m. EDT at the DeVos Tennis Center.
West Alabama (10-3, 6-1 GSC) opened a 1-0 lead with the 32
nd-ranked doubles team of Julius Kaverinen and Linus Holthey recording the win at No. 1 doubles due to a Lee injury. The match was tied 5-5.
Boyd Blackburn and Bruno Medeiros evened the score with an 8-4 defeat of Erick Nordblom and Honorio Fernandez at the third position. UWA posted an 8-5 win at No. 2 doubles to carry a 2-1 lead into singles competition.
The Tigers earned another team point with a retirement at No. 3 singles. Jake Okines lost 6-3 in his opening set with Linus Holthey. Okines battled back to record a 6-4 win in the second set to extend the match. He was unable to carry the momentum in a 6-2 third-set setback.
Kaverinen (ranked No. 11) outlasted Rhys Milne, 7-5, in the first set and Milne was a 6-3 winner in the second set. Kaverinen clinched the individual match and the team victory with a 6-2 mark in the third set.
UWA recorded straight-set wins at the final three singles matches to finalize the score.
In Saturday's contest, West Florida (8-5, 6-0 GSC) recorded a pair of 8-3 scores and an 8-4 mark to sweep the doubles competition at the Ralph "Skeeter" Carson Tennis Complex in Pensacola, Fla.
The Argos posted four straight-set wins in singles and were pushed to three sets at No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Medeiros fought back from a 6-1 first-set defeat to win the second set 7-5. Juan Cabrera won the super set 10-3 to win at No. 3 singles. Okines recorded a 7-5 tie-breaker advantage to win his second set against Lucas Sanchez to force a third set. Sanchez outlasted Okines to post the super set win, 10-7.
#21 WEST ALABAMA 8, LEE UNIVERSITY 1
Singles competition
1. #11 Julius Kaverinen (UWAM18) def. Rhys Milne (LEE-M) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
2. Linus Holthey (UWAM18) def. Jake Okines (LEE-M) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
3. Erick Nordblom (UWAM18) def. Igor Schattan (LEE-M) 6-1, 3-1, retired
4. Andrii Stratiienko (UWAM18) def. Bruno Medeiros (LEE-M) 6-4, 6-3
5. Nico Jochhamowitz (UWAM18) def. Boyd Blackburn (LEE-M) 7-5, 6-1
6. Henrik Sinkko (UWAM18) def. Daniel Prata (LEE-M) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #32 Julius Kaverinen/Linus Holthey (UWAM18) def. Rhys Milne/Jake Okines (LEE-M) 5-5, retired
2. Andrii Stratiienko/Henrik Sinkko (UWAM18) def. Daniel Prata/Igor Schattan (LEE-M) 8-5
3. Boyd Blackburn/Bruno Medeiros (LEE-M) def. Erick Nordblom/Honorio Fernandez (UWAM18) 8-4
#12 WEST FLORIDA 9, LEE UNIVERSITY 0
Singles competition
1. Nicolas Lecoutre (UWF) def. Rhys Milne (LEE-M) 6-4, 6-4
2. Lucas Sanchez (UWF) def. Jake Okines (LEE-M) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 10-7
3. Juan Cabrera (UWF) def. Bruno Medeiros (LEE-M) 6-1, 5-7, 10-3
4. Robin Rafaitin (UWF) def. Boyd Blackburn (LEE-M) 6-0, 6-1
5. Juan Motta (UWF) def. Daniel Prata (LEE-M) 6-2, 6-2
6. Nicholas Springer (UWF) def. Jordan Knott (LEE-M) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #50 Serdar Bojadjiev/Lucas Sanchez (UWF) def. Rhys Milne/Jake Okines (LEE-M) 8-3
2. Alfonso Castellano/Nicholas Springer (UWF) def. Boyd Blackburn/Bruno Medeiros (LEE-M) 8-4
3. Nicolas Lecoutre/Juan Cabrera (UWF) def. Daniel Prata/Igor Schattan (LEE-M) 8-3
