Sun Conference Men’s Tennis Tournament Crown Returns to Daytona Beach
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The top-seeded Embry-Riddle men's tennis team captured its sixth consecutive Sun Conference Tournament title with a 5-0 win over third-seeded Webber International on Saturday evening. Ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, the Eagles played two matches in the same day to win the crown and improved their overall record to 18-3.
The Eagles began the day by finishing their semifinal match that was suspended after doubles due to bad weather on Friday evening. The Blue and Gold matched up against fourth-seeded Northwood in the semis and took a 2-1 lead after doubles into Saturday's action. The Eagles further extended their advantage when
Deni Zmak set a new ERAU single-season record for singles wins with 31 courtesy of a 6-3, 6-1 decision against Alvaro Iturriaga at the top spot. At No. 4 singles,
Luke de Caires easily won the first set 6-1, but fought off a stiff challenge from Nikita Borodatov, winning 7-6 with a 14-12 edge in the super tiebreaker to send the Eagles into the championship.
ERAU got off to a fast start in the title match against WIU with a 3-0 sweep in doubles. At the top spot, Zmak and
Simon Felix teamed up for their 30th doubles win of the season with an 8-1 decision against Mislav Colak and Justus Klocke, marking the third time in Felix's career that he has hit the 30-win threshhold in doubles competition in a single season. De Caires and
Miguel Lopez Gomez were next off the court following their 8-3 defeat of Firmiano Filho and Nicklas Kammer, and
Patrick Besch and
Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios completed the sweep by topping Jonathan Cohen and Rodrigo Santibanez 8-2 at No. 2.
Lopez Gomez registered the first singles point for ERAU, downing Rodrigo Santibanez 6-0, 6-2 on court five to widen the gap in favor of the home team.
With Sanchez-Canamares sitting out of singles play due to an injury, Besch moved up to the No. 2 spot in the singles lineup. Playing in his final match at the Crotty Tennis Complex, the recorded the clinching points by besting Cohen 6-4, 6-2.
The conference tournament title secured a spot for the Eagles in the 24-team NAIA National Tournament in Mobile, Ala., May 13-17. The tournament bracket will be announced on May 4.