SAINT LEO, Fla. – The second-seeded Saint Leo men's tennis team, who is ranked fourth nationally, punched its' ticket to the Sunshine State Conference Tournament Championship match Thursday afternoon. The Lions blanked the third-seeded Lynn Fighting Knights, who are ranked eighth nationally, in a clinch match decision, 4-0. The Green and Gold took the doubles team point and advanced to the final round winning single flights two, five, and six.
Nicolas Bacella had an outstanding showing clinching the doubles point with third flight teammate
Bruno Faletto and recording the fourth and final team match point with his work at the second flight.
Alexander Parker and
Christopher Traut, who are ranked third in the nation together, spearheaded the doubles team efforts capturing a 6-3 first flight win. The duo has proven unstoppable as they raised their record to 9-0. Faletto and Bacella earned the go-ahead point in the third flight. The duo registered a 6-4 win, leaving the second flight unfinished, and started to prepare for singles action.
Ghali Mensour took the sixth singles flight by storm recording a perfect 6-0, 6-0. Up 2-0, Saint Leo and Lynn continued their battle under the blue sky and 80-degree weather in the Saint Leo Tennis Center.
Christopher Traut brought the match within one, handing in a 6-2, 6-2 fifth singles win. Bruno and Parker went into tiebreakers in their respective first sets. Meanwhile,
Nicolas Bacella, who is ranked 18
th nationally, was getting away from second flight opponent, Lucca Baptista, who is ranked 17
th nationally. After a 6-4 first set win, the junior from Venado Tuerto, Argentina handed in a 6-2 second set victory to advance the Lions' to the championship.
Results by Lineup
Doubles
No. 3
Alexander Parker and
Christopher Traut def. Ryan Neale and Jan Kirchhoff (6-3)
No. 15
Aurel Ciocanu and
Willem Van Den Akker vs. Lucca Baptista and Joao Ferreira (6-5; unfinished)
Bruno Faletto and
Nicolas Bacella def. Giovanni Araujo and Diego Gonzalez (6-4)
Singles
No. 13
Bruno Faletto vs. No. 11 Joao Ferreira (7-6 (7-5); unfinished)
No. 18
Nicolas Bacella def. No. 17 Lucca Baptista (6-4, 6-2)
No. 21
Aurel Ciocanu vs. Diego Gonzalez (6-4, 3-4; unfinished)
Alexander Parker vs. Jan Kirchhoff (7-6 (5-3); unfinished)
Christopher Traut def. Giovanni Araujo (6-2, 6-2)
Ghali Mensour def. Lucas Flotta (6-0, 6-0)
Up Next
Third-seeded Saint Leo will travel to first-seeded Barry for the SSC Tournament title scheduled for Sunday, April 25. The start time has yet to be announced. Barry earned hosting rights defeating fourth seed Embry-Riddle 4-1 Thursday afternoon in Miami Shores, Fla.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's tennis team, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on
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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, limiting the number of 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.
