SUMTER, S.C. --- Tusculum University rallied to win the final three singles matches and defeat Queens University of Charlotte 4-3 in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Championship tournament Friday afternoon at the Palmetto Tennis Center.
Frank Bonacia and Leon Huck each came back from a set down to win the last two singles matches and send the third-seeded Pioneers (16-3) into the championship match on Saturday at noon against fifth-seeded Anderson. Tusculum, which carries a seven-match winning streak into Saturday's final, will be making its first appearance in the SAC Championship final since 2015 and is seeking its first title since 2008.
The 16th-ranked Royals (14-4), seeded second in the tournament, led 3-1 midway through singles before the Pioneers began their comeback with a straight-set win by Manuel Guedes de Almeida at flight five. Bonacia leveled the match with a 6-1 third-set win at flight three, and Raitsou delivered the victory with a 6-3 win in the final set at flight six.
Queens rallied to earn the doubles points with wins at flights one and three after the Pioneers' Almeida and Jacco Mensinga defeated Berk Enc and Jan Malmon by a 6-3 score at flight two. Tusculum evened the score at 1-1 in singles as Leon Huck won his 13th straight match with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Yoan Roussinov at flight four.
The Royals grabbed a 3-1 lead with wins at the top two singles flights, as Edoardo Bottini defeated Dmitry Bezborodov 6-3, 6-3 at flight one and Paolo Bompieri defeated Nemanja Subanovic 7-5, 6-3 at flight two. Almeida started off the comeback by finishing off a 6-2, 6-2 win over Enc at flight five, and Bonacia came back to beat Edoardo Cecere 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 at flight three. Raitsou closed the match with his fifth straight victory by a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 score over Malmon at flight six.
Tusculum is 2-6 all-time in the SAC Championship finals, beating Presbyterian 5-1 in 2002 and Newberry 5-1 in 2008. Anderson (12-3) has won six straight matches, including a 4-3 upset of top-seeded Wingate in the other semifinal match on Friday. Anderson is making its second appearance in the SAC finals, winning in its first year in the conference in 2011.
The Pioneers defeated Anderson 6-1 in their regular-season meeting on Feb. 27, winning three singles matches in three sets. The teams have split two prior meetings in the conference tournament, with Tusculum winning in the 2015 semifinals and Anderson winning in the 2019 quarterfinals. Saturday's winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, which begins May 7.
