SAINT LEO, Fla. - The 15th-ranked Saint Leo University men's tennis hosted the tenth-ranked Florida Southern College Moccasins at home on Tuesday afternoon. After dropping the doubles point the Lions rallied for four singles wins to take down the Moccasins. Saint Leo improves to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in SSC play while FSC falls to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in SSC play.
 
Florida Southern took the doubles point for the early advantage. The Lions didn't go down quietly as the third-ranked doubles pair of Kodai Kato and Jose David Segovia proved why they are ranked that high as they fended off the Mocs for a 7-6 win at number one doubles.  
 
Saint Leo quickly turned the 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage as Segovia and Cohen each won their singles match in straight sets. The match was tied by the visiting team with a third set victory at number one singles. After dropping the first set at both four and five singles, the Lions rallied to earn the points to take the match in three sets each. Mahit Mekala fell 3-6 in the first set before winning both the second and third sets by that same score to give Saint Leo a 3-2 advantage. Kato was defeated 6-7 in the first set before blanking his opponent in the second set (6-0). In what proved to be a hard fought final set, the junior from Japan clinch the match point for the home team with a 6-4 win in set three. Florida Southern made it a 4-3 final with a win at number six singles.  
 
#15 SAINT LEO 4, #10 FLORIDA SOUTHERN 3
DOUBLES
1 #3 Kodai Kato/Jose David Segovia (SLU) def. George Russell/Onur Turgut (FSC) 7-6
2. Bosko Boskovic/Gabriel Jornert (FSC) def. Dylan Andrianaly/ Filippo Caporali (SLU) 7-5
3. Mario Garoz/Edoardo Melindo (FSC) def. Eduardo Cohen/Shay Sarfati (SLU) 6-1
ORDER OF FINISH: 3, 2, 1
 
SINGLES
1 #28 Mario Garoz (FSC) def. Dylan Andrianaly (SLU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
2. #39 Jose David Segovia (SLU) def. Matthew Hewitt (FSC) 6-2, 6-3
3. Eduardo Cohen (SLU) def. Onur Turgut (FSC) 6-1, 6-4
4. Kodai Kato (SLU) def. Marco Cinotti (FSC) 6-7, 6-0, 6-4
5. Mahit Mekala (SLU) def. Bosko Boskovic (FSC) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
6. Mar Antonio Morales (FSC) def. Filippo Caporali (SLU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

ORDER OF FINISH: 3, 2, 1,5, 4, 6
 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo returns to the court for three matches in four days. The Lions will take on New College of Florida (Feb. 26), Barry (Feb. 28), and Charleston (W.Va.) (March 1) all at the Saint Leo Tennis Center.