SAVANNAH, GA – Fourteenth-ranked Francis Marion University held off a feisty Anderson University squad to claim a 5-3 win and advance past the first round of the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Men's Tennis Regional in Savannah on Thursday (May 4). The Patriots are making their 11th NCAA tournament appearance in the past 12 years.
Francis Marion improves to 19-2 and sets a new team record for victories in a season. FMU took two of three doubles wins, then won at the top three singles spots to clinch the match. Three of the singles matches went to three sets, including No. 5-ranked Kevin Taylor outlasting 44th-ranked Philippe Magat at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. FMU junior David Budler, ranked 38th in Division II, knocked off Gustavo Carvahlo at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-1, and Patriot junior Chatwinder Singh defeated Carlos Sanches, 7-6 (6), 6-4, after rallying from 6-0 down in the first-set tiebreak.
Anderson, ranked 24th, ends its season 16-5.
The Patriots now face host Armstrong Atlantic State University in the Mid-Atlantic Region Championship match at 1 p.m. on Friday. AASU defeated Shaw University 5-0 in its first-round match on Thursday. AASU defeated Francis Marion 8-1 in an earlier match up this season back in February.
2006 NCAA II Mid-Atlantic Regional - Men's First Round
Francis Marion 5, Anderson 3
Singles
#1 - Kevin Taylor (FMU) def. Philippe Magat (Anderson) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
#2 - David Budler (FMU) def. Gustavo Carvahlo (Anderson) 6-2, 6-1
#3 - Chatwinder Singh (FMU) def. Carlos Sanches (Anderson) 7-6 (6), 6-4
#4 - Andres Weisskopf (Anderson) def. Franklyn Emmanuel (FMU) 6-2, 6-0
#5 - Srikrishna Ramanathan (Anderson) def. Dananjaya Mayadunne (FMU) 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
#6 - Lucas Moraes (Anderson) led Igor Prielozny (FMU) 1-6, 6-4, 4-3, match stopped, clinched
Doubles
#1 - Magat/Weisskopf (Anderson) def. Budler/Taylor (FMU) 9-7
#2 - Emmanuel/Mayadunne (FMU) def. Carvahlo/Sanches (Anderson) 8-5
#3 - Matthew Keth/Singh (FMU) def. Raul Luna/Ramanathan (Anderson) 8-6
Records: Francis Marion (19-2), Anderson (16-5)
