FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Parker, kparker@uscupstate.edu
Championship Website
BRISTOL, Tenn. – No. 4 seed Florida Gulf Coast University (11-10, 4-4 A-Sun) picked up crucial wins at No. 2 and No. 6 singles to clinch at 4-2 victory over the No. 5 seeded USC Upstate men's tennis team (10-11, 4-4 A-Sun) Friday evening in the opening round of the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship hosted by ETSU.
The Spartans knotted things up at 2-2 as Yvon Haessig picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles over FGCU's Dean Tsamas. The Eagles managed to hang on to a tight match at the No. 2 spot as Tianyu Bao edged Ramon Simonetti 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. With a 3-2 lead, Michael Beiler sealed the deal for FGCU at No. 6 singles, collecting at 6-2, 6-0 victory over Jamie Yates.
The Eagles opened the match, claiming the doubles point with wins at the No. 3 and No. 1 slots. At No. 3 doubles, Upstate's Viktor Selander and Yates dropped an 8-2 decision to Belier and Jackson Moore. The Eagles clinched the doubles point at the No. 1 spot as Jordi Vives and Tsamas defeated Matthias Kidler and Simonetti 8-3.
Selander opened singles play, earning a 6-1, 6-1 win at the No. 4 position over Moore to give the Spartans their first point on the night and tie the match at 1-1. At No. 1 singles, Vives handed Kidler his first loss to a conference opponent this season, beating the A-Sun Player of the Year 6-3, 6-1 to put FGCU back on top 2-1.
With the 4-2 victory, No. 4 seed FGCU advances to the semifinals of the A-Sun Championship, facing No. 1 seed North Florida at 3 p.m. Saturday.
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No. 4 FGCU 4, No. 5 USC Upstate 2
4/19/2013 at Bristol, Tenn. (Bristol Racquet Club)
| Singles competition |
| 1. Jordi Vives (FGCU) def. Matthias Kidler (UPSTM) 6-3, 6-1 |
| 2. Tianyu Bao (FGCU) def. Ramon Simonetti (UPSTM) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 |
| 3. Yvon Haessig (UPSTM) def. Dean Tsamas (FGCU) 6-2, 6-3 |
| 4. Viktor Selander (UPSTM) def. Jackson Moore (FGCU) 6-1, 6-1 |
| 5. Lance Lvovsky (FGCU) vs. Gonzalo Blanco (UPSTM) 6-3, 2-2, unfinished |
| 6. Michael Beiler (FGCU) def. Jamie Yates (UPSTM) 6-2, 6-0 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. Jordi Vives/Dean Tsamas (FGCU) def. Matthias Kidler/Ramon Simonetti (UPSTM) 8-3 |
| 2. Tianyu Bao/Lance Lvovsky (FGCU) vs. Yvon Haessig/Gonzalo Blanco (UPSTM) 3-5, unfinished |
| 3. Michael Beiler/Jackson Moore (FGCU) def. Viktor Selander/Jamie Yates (UPSTM) 8-2 |
| Match Notes |
| No. 5 USC Upstate 10-11, 4-4 A-Sun |
| No. 4 FGCU 11-10, 4-4 A-Sun |
| Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,1,3,2,6) |
| Atlantic Sun Men's Tennis Championship |
| Quarterfinals - Match #2 |
| Official: Walt Williams T-3:27 A-82 |
