GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Wingate University men's tennis team posted a 6-3 South Atlantic Conference win over host Tusculum College Friday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.
The Bulldogs (7-3, 3-1 SAC) captured two of the three doubles matches, including a thrilling 9-8 pro set victory at the first flight as Bruno Pudence and Flavio Rathsam defeated Henrique Rodrigues and Luis Zamora. The No. 3 doubles pair of Matthew Lichtenstein and Drew Owen opened with an 8-3 win over the TC duo of Drew Kiser and Gui Carvalho.
The Pioneers (9-1, 1-1 SAC) salvaged a point at No. 2 doubles as Steven Lin and Oliver Smith defeated Braeden Patchell and Louis Villarroel, 8-4.
Tusculum tied the match after the first half of singles, capturing points at the first and third flights. After Lichtenstein defeated Zamora 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2 singles to put Wingate up 3-1, Lin answered with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Owen at the third flight. The match of the day game at No. 1 singles as Rodrigues gutted out a 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 win over Pudence to knot the match at 3-3.
But the Bulldogs sealed the match with victories in the remaining three flights, all in straight sets.
Tusculum returns to action on Saturday morning as the Pioneers host Catawba College for an 11 a.m. match at the Nichols Tennis Complex.
- TC -
Wingate 6, Tusculum 3
Singles
1 - Henrique Rodrigues (TC) def. Bruno Pudence (WIN) 7-6, 4-6,
7-6
2 - Matthew Lichtenstein (WIN) def. Luis Zamora (TC) 6-3, 6-1
3 - Steven Lin (TC) def. Drew Owen (WIN) 6-3, 7-5
4 - Braeden Patchell (WIN) def. Oliver Smith (TC) 6-2, 6-3
5 - Flavio Rathsam (WIN) def. Drew Kiser (TC) 6-1, 6-0
6 - Fernando Montemurro (WIN) def. Paulo dos Santos (TC) 6-2,
6-1
Doubles
1 - Pudence/Rathsam (WIN) def. Rodrigues/Zamora (TC) 9-8
2 - Lin/Smith (TC) def. Patchell/Louis Villarroel (WIN) 8-4
3 - Lichtenstein/Owen (WIN) def. Kiser/Gui Carvalho 8-3
Records: Wingate 7-3 overall (3-1 SAC); Tusculum 9-2 overall (1-1 SAC)