BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University's seventh-ranked men's tennis team survived its first challenge of the season, defeating 13th-ranked Rollins 6-3 on Saturday. With the win Lynn improves to 2-0, 1-0 in Sunshine State Conference play.
Doubles play went in Rollins favor, as the visitors were up 2-1. In a marque bout between two top-20 duos, Lynn's top-ranked Daniel Riggs and Paolo Volpicelli lost to the 19th-ranked pair of Adrian Di Felice and Anton Bettink 8-3. The Fighting Knights were able to knot up the score in the three spot as Fernando Rivas and Alessio Iannozzi bested Robin Marchione and Malte Christesen 8-4. Doubles action concluded with Jacobo Herrero and Patrick Sell of the Tars topping the Blue & White's Pavel Mojha and Mehdi Laalej 8-6 in the second flight.
Lynn did not trail for long, as three sweeps quickly put the Fighting Knights up 4-2. In the five slot senior Iannozzi defeated Herrero in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. Playing on court three, Mojha also got the better of his foe with a 6-2, 6-4 outing over 38th-ranked Marchione. Laalej dominated his opponent, Christesen, with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
At the top flight, 23rd-ranked Riggs won his first set 6-3, but lost the next two 3-6, 2-6 to lose to 10th-ranked Betnik. Rivas dropped the first set of his contest on court two 4-6 before winning the next two 6-1, 6-4 over Sell to clinch the victory for Lynn. The last match to finish was Volpicelli's in the four spot, where he defeated DiFelice 6-0, 5-6, 6-4.
The Fighting Knights next match will be another battle as 10th-ranked Valdosta State comes to town on February 14. Fans can follow the action live at LynnFightingKnights.com. Don't forget to 'Like' us on Facebook and follow @Lynn_Knights on Twitter and Instagram.
