SAVANNAH, GA. – Seventh-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University cruised to a 5-0 victory over 14th-ranked Francis Marion University, Friday afternoon (May 5) in the title match of the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Regional Men's tennis Tournament.
Francis Marion, which was making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 12 seasons, ends its year with a program-best 19-3 mark.
AASU (18-6) advances to the NCAA's Round of 16 where the Pirates will face the defending Division II national champs, University of West Florida, May 10 in Kansas City, Mo.
On Friday, the Pirates won all three doubles matches as AASU's 17th-ranked duo of Robert Jendelund and Taavo Roos edged FMU's sixth-ranked team of Kevin Taylor and David Budler, winning 8-6 at the No. 1 position. David Secker and Paul Bishop knocked off Franklyn Emmanuel and Dananjaya Mayadunne 8-3 at No. 2 doubles, while Cristian Easton and Davor Zink defeated Chatwinder Singh and Matthew Keth 8-3 at No. 3 doubles.
Secker then picked up a quick 6-1, 6-3 singles win over Mayadunne at the No.5 spot, and Easton closed out the match with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Igor Prielozny at No. 6 singles. FMU players led in two of the four remaining singles matches when the match was stopped.
Taylor, the 2006 Peach Belt Conference's "Player of the Year," and Prielozny were the lone seniors on this year's FMU squad.
2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional - Championship Match
#7 AASU 5, #14 Francis Marion 0
Singles
#1 - #4 Davor Zink (AASU) led #5 Kevin Taylor (FMU), 6-4, 3-3, match stopped, clinched
#2 - #38 David Budler (FMU) led #36 Paul Bishop (AASU), 7-6 (3), 1-3, match stopped, clinched
#3 - Robert Jendelund (AASU) led Chatwinder Singh (FMU) 6-2, 4-4, match stopped, clinched
#4 - Franklyn Emmanuel (FMU) led Taavo Roos (AASU) 6-4, 4-0, match stopped, clinched
#5 - David Secker (AASU) def. Dananjaya Mayadunne (FMU) 6-1, 6-3
#6 - Cristian Easton (AASU) def. Igor Prielozny (FMU) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
#1 - #17 Jendelund/Roos (AASU) def. #6 Budler/Taylor (FMU) 8-6
#2 - Bishop/Secker (AASU) def. Emmanuel/Mayadunne (FMU) 8-3
#3 - Easton/Zink (AASU) def. Matthew Keth/Singh (FMU) 8-3
Records: AASU (18-6), Francis Marion (19-3)
Men's Sports
