ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - No. 19 Columbus State men's tennis punched its ticket to the NCAA Division II Round of 16 with a 4-2 upset victory over fourth-ranked Flagler (Fla.) on Saturday at the Pollard Tennis Center.
The Cougars (13-10) grabbed early momentum over the Saints (20-3) by claiming the doubles point with key wins at the top two positions.
Andrea Sandrone and
Elias Peter teamed up for a 6-4 win at the first line of doubles, while
Benedek Szombathelyi and
Yike Liu battled through a tight 7-6 (7-5) victory at the second spot to clinch the point after a 6-3 loss on court three.
In singles, Szombathelyi continued his strong postseason with a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 victory at the fourth line of singles, putting the Cougars ahead 2-0. Followings
Camilo Cano with a dominant performance at the top line, defeating Baptiste Mercier 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 to extend CSU's lead to 3-0.
After the Saints pulled within one point following wins at No. 3 and No. 6 singles, Peter stepped up in the clutch. Peter outlasted Filip Kana 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 at the fifth position to clinch the match and send Columbus State back to the NCAA Round of 16.
Samer Al Tori's match at the second line of singles was left unfinished in the third set.
Columbus State is poised to make the program's fifth-consecutive Round of 16 appearance after knocking off the PBC Regular Season and Tournament champs on their home court. The Cougars avenge their 5-2 loss in St. Augustine from a month ago in regular season play, looking to carry their momentum further in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Next Up
- The Cougars will now prepare for the NCAA DII Round of 16 in Altamonte Springs, Fla., with their opponent to be announced.
