KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Lee University men's tennis team claimed a pair of wins at the Knoxville Racquet Club on Saturday to extend its win streak to five. In back-to-back matches, the Flames (5-3) beat Belmont Abbey College 5-2 then edged Carson-Newman University 4-3.
"What a day for our guys," said Lee head coach Patric Hynes. That one could have gone either way tonight. To win that match against a well-rested team, in the second of back-to-back matches was just a gutsy effort. Really proud of this team."
Against Carson-Newman (5-2), the Flames produced wins in two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. Nico Ramirez and Bruno Medeiros doubled-up Lars Hordijk and Marc Janse 6-3. Gjorgji Jankulovski and Ids Waterbolk held off Diego Garcia and Jordi Dasi 6-4 to leave the No. 3 doubles match as the decider. Drew Johnston and Wihan Van Der Merwe used a tiebreaker score of 7-4 to win 7-6 and give Lee a 1-0 lead.
"We played a great doubles point and came up huge at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles tonight," added Hynes.
Janse defeated Dasi 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 singles to even the team score at 1-1. Garcia dropped just three points to beat Rintaro Oka at the third spot, but Marnix Van Dalen posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ramirez at the top spot to make the score 2-2 with three singles contests remaining to be finished.
Van Der Merwe put the Flames back on top with a three-set win over Waterbolk. Van Der Merwe outlasted Waterbolk 11-9 in a first-set tiebreaker before Waterbolk forced a third set with a 6-3 mark in the second. The third set was decided in a super set with Van Der Merwe prevailing 10-5.
"Diego got the ball rolling for us. Made himself hard to play against and never backed down. Wihan held his nerve against an experienced opponent and his tiebreaker to finish was so gritty and clean," commended Hynes.
Hordijk used a tiebreaker score of 7-4 in the first set to create enough momentum to beat Drew Johnston 7-6, 6-4 and once again tie the match with one outstanding.
Medeiros took down Jankulovski 7-6, 7-6 with tiebreakers of 7-5 and 9-7 to win at No. 4 singles and clinch the team victory.
"Bruno is a guy who has put his heart and soul into this program. He's a huge part of our Lee family and watching him come through in that moment was an absolute privilege," Hynes concluded.
Against Belmont Abbey, the Flames swept the doubles competition to take an early 1-0 lead. Johnston and Van Der Merwe beat Gabriel Martin and Andres Golindano 6-1 at No. 3 doubles. Ramirez and Medeiros held off Xaveam Van Wijk and Nicholas Cary to secure the point. Dasi and Garcia defeated Zachary Blythe and Nelson Stafford by the same 6-4 margin.
Ramirez posted set scores of 6-2 and 6-2 to beat Blythe at No. 1 singles and push the Lee lead to 2-0. Garcia used a tiebreaker score of 8-6 in the first set and a 10-6 super set advantage in the third set to hold off Martin at the third position.
Kai Lloveras postponed the Lee victory celebration with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Johnston. Van Der Merwe defeated Jai Rowe 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the fourth team point.
Nelson Stafford added a second point for the Crusaders with a three-set win over Dasi at No. 2 singles. Medeiros supplied the final margin with a pair of 6-4 set scores to beat Alex Turner in straight sets.
The Flames are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday against Young Harris College. The non-conference matchup is set for 2 p.m. at the DeVos Tennis Center.
