ARLINGTON, Texas -- For the second time in three years, UT Tyler defeated Midwestern State in the LSC Men's Tennis Championship. The Patriots' 4-3 victory was decided by the narrowest of margins at Arlington Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon.
While Daniil Felker clinched the victory at No. 4 singles with a three-set win over
Killian Guillou, the dual may have been decided when the Patriots won the doubles point.
Carel Wesel and Joaquin Bianchi won No. 2 doubles over
Killian Guillou and
Germano Setti, 6-2, but the Mustangs won No. 3 doubles as
Bruno Sanchez and
Justin Van Amerongen defeated Job Japelj and Forkane Lebdi, 6-3.
The marquee matchup at No. 1 doubles came down to a tiebreak. Felker and Egor Shestakov, ranked No. 30 in the nation, slipped past the No. 3–ranked tandem of
Luis Diaz Argente and
Stephen Slocombe, 7-6 (9).
Midwestern State, ranked No. 19 in the nation, was able to claim points in the first three completed singles matches against 22nd-ranked UT Tyler.
Slocombe scored a victory over Wessel at No. 3 singles, 7-5, 6-2, for his second win in as many days at the LSC Men's Tennis Championship. Slocombe has won six of his last nine completed matches and is 12-8 this season.
Van Amerongen, a junior transfer from Blue Mountain College, earned his fourth win in six completed singles matches this year. The Dutchman finished strong in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win over Yudai Watanabe at No. 6 singles.
Germano Setti, ranked No. 61 in the nation, earned a straight-set victory over 52nd-ranked Egor Shestakov, 7-5, 6-4. Setti avenged a three-set loss to the Russian two weeks ago at MSU Tennis Center. Setti's fourth consecutive win since that loss to Shestakov gave the Stang Gang a 3-1 lead with three matches in progress.
Philip Kamara split the first two sets with Jordi Garcia at No. 5 singles, but Garcia got the first must-win match for the Patriots, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
The clash at No. 1 singles came down to a see-saw third set. Bianchi, ranked No. 17 in the nation, won the first three games against Diaz, but the 38th-ranked Spaniard rallied to take a 4-3 lead over the Argentinian. Bianchi won the final three games to claim the dual-match point, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Guillou and Felker each won a tiebreak at No. 4 singles, but Felker prevailed in the third set, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-3, and the celebration began for the Patriots, who won their second LSC Men's Championship.
Setti and Slocombe earned a spot on the LSC All-Tournament team for the Mustangs, who await their fate in the NCAA South Central Regional. The selection show is scheduled for Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m.
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