Men's tennis team in contention for national title in Texas
The Eastern Florida State College men's tennis team is in third place heading into the semifinals of the NJCAA Division I National Tournament.
The Titans are just two points behind Cowley College for the lead and will have five singles players and two doubles teams in the semifinals on Thursday which is a program-best.
Jett Leong had one of the best matches of the morning at No. 5 singles. Leong lost the first set 6-4 to Pratt Community College's Sixto Golobart, but Leong bounced back in the second set, scoring the 6-0 win to even the match and force a third set.
Golobart took a commanding 5-2 lead but Leong held serve to make it 5-3. Then he broke Golobart and held once again to tie the match 5-5. From there Golobart began cramping a bit and Leong broke him once again and served out the win to advance to the semifinals for the second straight season for the Titans.
Leong will face Cowley College's Tadeo Gaggiofatto in the semifinals in a key match for the Titans as they vie for their first national title in men's tennis. Leong will play Gaggiofatto at 8 a.m.
Gaggiofatto won his quarterfinal match 6-0, 6-1.
Nick DeVivo also had a long quarterfinal match as he lost a tight first set 7-5 and then took command of the match, winning the next two 6-0 and 6-2. DeVivo used a big serve and some good shots to win the final four points on his way to the semifinals.
DeVivo will play Cowley College's Omar Suarez who won his quarterfinals match 6-4, 6-2 at 8 a.m. on Thursday.
Also advancing to the semifinals are Hugo Car, Tomas Quesada Perez and Alexandr Achour who all won in straight sets.
Car defeated Pratt Community College's Alexi Khamrotau 6-2, 6-1 in a match that lasted a bit more than an hour.
Quesada Perez was done in less than an hour, defeating ABAC's Antoine Schaub 6-1, 6-3. Achour won his match against Barton Community College's Oliver Naude 6-4, 6-2.
Jack Dixon lost a tight three-set match that lasted three hours at No. 2 singles.
In doubles, the Titans continued their strong play as two of the three doubles teams advanced to Thursday's semifinals.
The No. 2 doubles team of DeVivo and Colin Tavares picked up another straight sets win, defeating ABAC's Antonin Leborne and Zachary Riley 6-1, 6-4.
DeVivo and Tavares will roll into the semifinals, facing Cowley College's Pedro De La Riva and Valentin Greco who won in three sets in the quarterfinals. It is the second straight match the Cowley duo have won in three sets. The match will begin at 11 a.m.
The No. 3 doubles team of Tomas Quesada Perez and Alexandr Achour won the first set 6-4 and traded points with the Seward County duo in the second set. Tied 5-5, Quesada Perez and Achour got the break and then held serve to pick up the 7-5 win.
The duo will head to the semifinals, meeting Collin College's Enrique Doldan Sisa and Luke Stula Takumi who won 6-2, 6-0.
The No. 1 doubles team of Dixon and Car lost a tight battle with Seward County's Samuel Antwi and Cem Atlamis. The match was filled with big shots and plenty of close calls as the first set went to a tiebreaker, tied 6-6. Seward County won the tiebreaker and took an early lead.
Eastern Florida State College came back in the second set, picking up the 6-3 win and forcing a third set. The third set was much like the first set with teams trading big shots and the lead. But tied 5-5, Seward County had a big break and then held serve to upset the Titans.