Mobile, AL – The #14 UC men's tennis team struck first winning the doubles point, however, four straight singles wins by #4 Tennessee Wesleyan brings an end to the Patriots season in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament Wednesday afternoon at the Mobile Tennis Center. The Patriots close out the season with an 18-4 record, which is the most wins by the team at least in the past decade.
In doubles play, UC's top doubles tandem of
Martin Barbier and
Eric Banoub defeated Valentin Popescu and Gregorio Magnarelli 6-3 to give the Patriots the advantage. The reigning ITA doubles champion cap off their season with a 19-3 mark at #1 doubles this season. Martin Mueller and
Robert Wu Hung-Ju clinched the point for the Patriots with 6-3 lead at #3 doubles giving Cumberlands the 1-0 lead. Muller and Hung-Ju improves to 13-2 at #3 doubles this season.
In singles play Tennessee Wesleyan tallied straight sets wins at #2 and #3 singles to take a 2-1 advantage.
Mattis Le Montagner dropped the first set at #4 singles, however, battled back to take the second set 7-5. Montagner fell in three sets to finish 18-3 on the year.
Barbier, the MSC Player of the Year, took the first set over #9 Oscar Gabriel Ortiz 6-4. Barbeir battled over the next two sets but eventually fell 6-2, 6-4 as Tennessee Wesleyan clinched the match. Barbier closes out the season with an 18-2 mark at #1 singles.
Hung-Ju notched UC's final point with a three set win over Patryk Kosinski 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 at #6 singles to improve to 16-0 at that position on the year. Banoub dropped the first set at #5 singles, however, rallied to take the second set 7-6 (7-5) and was leading 4-2 in the third set when play was halted.
For the Patriots the close out the season with six all-conference players and one of their highest rankings in program history.
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