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Saint Leo University Athletics

THE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC WEBSITE OF THE SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY LIONS
24_Bacella_Eastern-Florida
Hailey ji Cai deyhun Latlief
2
Embry-Riddle University ERAU (15-6)
4
Winner Saint Leo University SLU (20-2)
Embry-Riddle University ERAU
(15-6)
2
Final
4
Saint Leo University SLU
(20-2)
Winner

Match Recap: Men's Tennis | | Jonathan Glass | Director of Athletic Communications

CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND! #1 Men's Tennis Advances to SSC Championship Finals

LAKELAND, Fla. – The top-ranked Saint Leo University men's tennis team is heading back to the Sunshine State Conference championship finals for the fourth-straight year. The Lions defeated the fourth-seeded #13 Embry-Riddle Eagles 4-2 to advance to the championship match on Sunday. Saint Leo is looking to win its first conference tournament title since 2016. The Lions improved to 20-2 on the season.
 
Saint Leo's number one doubles pair of #29 Luis Iriarte and Martin Soukal opened the match with a 6-3 doubles win. Embry-Riddle tied the doubles match with a 7-5 win at number two doubles. Eduardo Cohen and Kodai Kato won the tiebreaker to clinch the doubles point for the Lions.
 
Iriarte put the top-ranked Lions up 2-0 winning 6-1 and 6-2 at number five singles. Embry-Riddle cut the Lions lead to one with a win at number six singles. Ghali Mensour opened number three singles with a 6-1 win and after falling 6-4 in the second set, rallied to clinch the 3-1 lead for the Lions with a 6-2 win in the final set. Once again the Eagles cut the Lions lead to one with a victory in the third set at number four singles. Nicolas Bacella clinched the match point for the Lions rallying from a 6-4 first set loss to take the second set 6-1 and sealed the victory with a 6-4 win in the final set.

(1) #1 SAINT LEO 4, (4) #13 EMBRY-RIDDLE 2
DOUBLES
  1. #29 Luis Iriarte/Martin Soukal (SLU) def. #24 Michele Iftimie/Joshua Nuyts (ERAU) 6-3
  2. #27 Fernando Alonso/Caelan Potts (ERAU) def. Nicolas Bacella/Ghali Mensour (SLU) 7-5
  3. Eduardo Cohen/Kodai Kato (SLU) def. Alvaro Diaz Rodrigo/Safar Rasulov (ERAU) 7-6(8)
 
SINGLES
  1. #2 Martin Soukal (SLU) vs. #35 Safar Rasulov (ERAU) 6-2, 6(9)-7, 1-2 UF
  2. Nicolas Bacella (SLU) def. #65 Joshua Nuyts (ERAU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
  3. Ghali Mensour (SLU) def. Michele Iftimie (ERAU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
  4. Fernando Alonso (ERAU) def. Dylan Andrianaly (SLU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
  5. Luis Iriarte (SLU) def. Caelan Potts (ERAU) 6-1, 6-2
  6. Alvaro Diaz Rodrigo (ERAU) def. Kodai Kato (SLU) 6-2, 6-3
 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo advances to the 2024 Sunshine State Conference championship final match. The Lions will take on the #8 Barry Buccaneers, the three seed, looking to avenge losses in the SSC championship match the past three seasons. First serve against the Bucs is set for 1 p.m. from the Beerman Family Tennis Complex in Lakeland, Fla.  
 
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