The Lee University men’s tennis team won its regular season finale 4-0 at Montevallo Saturday afternoon at the Montevallo Tennis Court Complex. The No. 10 Flames improved to 13-4 overall and 6-3 within the Gulf South Conference (GSC), while the Falcons dropped to 8-9, 3-6 GSC.
Lee made quick work of the doubles competition to take an early 1-0 lead. Drew Johnston and Jordi Dasi teamed up to beat Nick Hartmann and Rien Alderliesten 6-0. Mike and Quinn Groenendijk, ranked No. 47 in doubles, took down Paul Sobich and Dylan Kamel 6-1.
The No. 1 doubles match was left unfinished with Montevallo’s Philippe Zehender and Fabricio Sosa leading Nico Ramirez and Francisco Faria 4-3.
The Flames went up 2-0 after 62nd-ranked Faria won due to retirement. Faria was leading 4-0 in the first set when Sobich was unable to continue. Dasi held off Julius Ziebart 7-5 to win their first set and completed the straight-set win with a 6-1 score in the second set.
Wihan Van Der Merwe clinched the team victory with matching 7-5 scores in both sets against Viktor Ek Johansson.
The No. 1 singles match was left unfinished. Ramirez and Zehender split the first two sets in the No. 1 singles matchup with Zahender winning the first set 6-4 and Ramirez, ranked No. 27, claiming the second set with a 7-5 tiebreaker. The third set ended with Zehender leading 2-1. The No. 5 and No. 6 singles had not started when the team match had been decided.
The Flames will enter the GSC Championship as the No. 5 seed and will face fourth-seeded West Alabama on Thursday, April 20. The quarterfinal matchup will be contested at Lagoon Park and O'Connor Tennis Center in Montgomery, Ala.
The Lee women’s tennis team lost its regular season finale 4-3 at Montevallo Saturday afternoon at the Montevallo Tennis Court Complex. The No. 38 Lady Flames fell to 11-5 overall and 6-4 within the Gulf South Conference (GSC), while the Falcons improved to 10-8, 5-5 GSC.
Montevallo won both completed doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Emily Hafner and Lieselotte Hartlöhner beat Micaela Maiz and Maria Duarte 6-2. Mireia Turro and Cyba Ozzor held off Ashleigh Simes and Matina Ujdur 7-5. The No. 3 doubles match was left unfinished with Eva Dirr and Erika Freire leading Elizaveta Gnilozubova and Hayden Smith.
Ujdur evened the team score after her opponent retired. Ujdur won the opening set 6-3 and was leading 1-0 when Hafner was unable to continue. Simes, ranked No. 49 in singles, took down Turro 6-3, 6-1 to give Lee a 2-1 lead. Maiz continued the Lee run with a 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Ozzor at No. 2 singles.
Dirr stopped Lee’s win streak with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Gnilozubova at No. 4 singles. Hartlohner used a three-set win at the fifth position to tie the team score at 3-3. Hartlohner won the first set 6-0 and Duarte claimed the second 6-2. Hartlohner held off Duarte to win the third set 6-4.
London Breedlove outlasted Smith 6-4 and 7-5 to win the No. 6 singles match and clinch the victory for the home team.
The Lady Flames will enter the GSC Championship as the No. 5 seed and will face fourth-seeded Mississippi College on Thursday, April 20. The quarterfinal matchup will be contested at Lagoon Park and O'Connor Tennis Center in Montgomery, Ala.