SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's tennis team, ranked third nationally, blanked the Eckerd Tritons, 7-0, in the Lions' season home opener on Tuesday in the Saint Leo Tennis Center. The strong start hands Saint Leo a 1-0 early season record, 1-0 in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Meanwhile, the Tritons season marked lowered to 0-3, 0-3 in the conference.
 
Saint Leo snagged the doubles point taking all three matches. The Lions whipped up a confident 6-1 first doubles result by Willem Van Den Akker and Aurel Ciocanu, a clean sheet by second doubles partners Alexander Parker and Christopher Traut, and finally a 6-4 third doubles decision by Bruno Faletto and Nicolas Bacella.
 
Ciocanu at third singles and Parker at the four spot each wrapped up their days quickly with going 6-1, 6-2 and 6-2, 6-3 respectively.
 
On the flip end, Faletto clinched a three-set battle (6-2, 4-6, 6-3) with Pierre Lassalle to preserve the team sweep. Meanwhile, Bacella won in a tiebreaker, handing in a 6-2, 7-6 (3) decision.
 
Ghali Mensour won his fifth singles match (6-0, 6-1) while Jesse Wikso also took care of his match at the six spot (6-3, 6-0).
 
Results by Lineup
Doubles
Willem Van Den Akker and Aurel Ciocanu def. Pierre Lassalle and Prakrut Patel (6-1)
Alexander Parker and Christopher Traut def. Same Walker and Edoardo Ruggiano (6-0)
Bruno Faletto and Nicolas Bacella def. Alejandro Vucanovic and Christian Kearns (6-4)
 
Singles
Bruno Faletto def. Pierre Lassalle (6-2, 4-6, 6-3)
Nicolas Bacella def. Prakrut Patel (6-2, 7-6 (3))
Aurel Ciocanu def. Sam Walker (6-1, 6-2)
Alexander Parker def. Christian Kearns (6-2, 6-3)
Ghali Mensour def. Edoardo Ruggiano (6-0, 6-1)
Jesse Wikso def. Alejandro Vucanovic (6-3, 6-0)
 
Up Next
Saint Leo will be tested on the road for the first time of the season on Saturday, March 20. The Lions are scheduled to travel to Florida Southern for a 1 p.m. match start.
 
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's tennis, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, holding competitions without fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.