Florida Tech Aims To Stay Alive In SSC Tennis
By Space Coast Daily // April 19, 2013
Panthers Face Eckered On Friday
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA – Florida Tech is looking to get back on track after opening the Sunshine State Conference Men’s Tennis Championship against No. 15 Saint Leo in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
The sixth-seeded Panthers found their only win in the top doubles match as they fell to the third-seeded Lions, 5-1, at the South County Regional Park.
Junior Nicolas Clerc and freshman Patrick Hernandez, who rank No. 23 in Division II, defeated Aloua Adjenak and Jake Fleischer, 8-1, to begin the quarterfinal match. Saint Leo (15-4) responded with an 8-2 decision at No. 3 doubles to tie the match.
The No. 2 doubles match turned out to be a battle. Florida Tech’s (11-11) Matic Leskovar and Beau Fieldsend were knotted at 6-6 with Bruno Sisti and Matt Nicholson-Lewis.
The two tandems exchanged service wins until the match was tied at 8-8 to force a tiebreaker. The Lions’ duo held on with a 7-4 tiebreak score to take the match, 9-8.
Saint Leo then won the No. 3, 4 and 5 singles matches to advance to the semifinal round with a 5-1 victory over the Panthers. Florida Tech will move into the championship backdraw.
In all three unfinished matches, the Panthers fell in the first sets, but were leading in the second.
Florida Tech will face Eckerd Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the championship backdraw. The Tritons were swept, 5-0, by Lynn in the quarterfinal round.
