ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. --- Flagler College defeated Tusculum University 4-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Tournament Friday afternoon at the Flagler Tennis Center.

The Saints (17-6), seeded second in the Southeast Regional and ranked eighth in Division II, had to battle for the sweep against the seventh-seeded and 30th-ranked Pioneers (17-7). Flagler advances to the second round on Saturday against the winner of the match between Wingate and Lander.

Flagler won the doubles point by earning victories in each of the first two completed matches. At flight one, the 43rd-ranked duo of Nikita Tatyanin and Jagger Ong-Patzwald defeated Nemanja Subanovic and Marco Jalalian by a 6-2 score, while at flight two Philipp Lemken and Pavlos Parson teamed for a 6-2 win over Kenta Kondou and Nathan Matsuguma to give the Saints a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Saints would take a 3-0 lead as Petr Cervinka beat Kondou 6-0, 6-1 at flight three, followed by a 6-2, 6-4 victory by 30th-ranked Tatyanin over Rhodri Atkinson at flight one. Tusculum would battle back, with Subanovic, Frank Bonacia and Ivan Ivars all extending their opponents to a third set in their respective matches. However, it would be Flagler's Fernando Bulnes Garrorena who provided the clinching point as he rallied in the second set for a 6-4, 6-4 win over Matsuguma at flight six.

Tusculum was making its eighth appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament and second in the past three years. The Pioneers completed their 12th consecutive winning season and are expected to end the season nationally ranked for the third straight year and fourth time in the past six years.