Bethune-Cookman Tops Florida A&M
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Walid Gtari’s three-set victory lifted Bethune-Cookman to a dramatic 4-3 win over Florida A&M in a key Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference match Saturday morning.
The Rattlers (7-10 overall, 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference South) took the doubles points and had two singles win come in for a 3-0 lead.
Alvaro Barrera and Greg Almeida finished straight set wins to bring Bethune-Cookman (11-11,3-1) to 3-2, then Alexander Chepik erased a 5-2 second set deficit to win his No. 1 singles match to make the team score 3-3.
Gtari, a senior, downed Karlyn Small 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 at No. 2 singles for the win.
This was the fourth time this season the Wildcats have won a match that came down to the final point. It’s also the first time the Wildcats have beaten the Rattlers in Tallahassee and will help shape the Wildcats’ seeding at the conference tournament April 21-23 in Norfolk, Va. The official seedings will be announced April 18.
Bethune-Cookman plays No. 23 Florida State Sunday evening.
For more information visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.famuathletics.com
Hampton Loses At Temple
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Hampton University men’s tennis team closed out a Pennsylvania weekend by losing 6-0 to Temple University on Saturday.
Due to limited court space and matches going on in two different facilities, the singles matches were played first rather than the normal doubles matches.
Matthew Foster-Estwick won a second-set tiebreaker before losing in three sets to Santiago Canete at number one singles 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0. Peter Odegbami won the first set a number three singles before losing in three sets before losing to Uladzimir Dorash 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-3).
The other matches were all in straight sets for Hampton as Fedor Shirin fell at number two (6-2, 6-0, Charles Hudson at number four (6-2, 6-3), Miguel Suarez at number five (6-2, 6-1) and Joshua McQueen at number six (6-1, 6-0).
For more information visit www.hamptonpirates.com
Morgan State Has Streak Snapped with a 4-1 Loss at Hofstra
HOCKESSIN, Del. -- The Morgan State men's tennis team saw its five-match winning streak snapped on Saturday with a road loss to Hofstra at the Hockessin Athletic Club in Hockessin, Delaware.
Despite the loss, the Bears returned to the win column today (Sunday) due to a forfeit by Maryland Eastern Shore. Morgan State are now 9-10 overall this year and are 3-0 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. The Hofstra match marked the team's final non-conference outing as the remaining two contests during the regular season will come against MEAC opposition.
Hofstra, won its second straight while improving to 10-4, and it was Niko Vulinovich's 7-6 (6), 7-5 win over Treajh Ferguson that clinched a 4-1 victory against the Bears.
Vulinovich and Gustav Akesson picked up a 6-0 win at first doubles and were followed by Marcus Smith and Yahn Gawrit defeating Evan Ward and Ferguson at second doubles by a score of 6-4. That gave Hofstra a 1-0 lead in the match. The Bears' Jeremy Field and Arjun Ramakrishnan picked up a 6-3 win at third doubles over Leonardo Pires and Zachary Chang.
Ward tied the match at one with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Akesson at fourth singles. But the Pride rolled off three consecutive victories to clinch the match. Smith dropped the first set to Fields, 1-6, before storming back to win the next two 6-2 and 6-3 at the top flight. Gawrit won 6-2, 7-5 over Andre at the third flight before Vulinovich came through with the match clinching win.
For more information visit www.morganstatebears.com.