BOCA RATON, Fla- Lynn University's men's tennis team collected its 12th win of the season over the third-ranked NAIA Warhawks of Auburn Montgomery on Tuesday night. No. 9 Lynn (12-2) defeated AUM 5-4 by holding off a singles push by the visitors improving to 9-6 all-time against them.
Alessio Iannozzi and Paolo Volpicelli gave Lynn a 1-0 lead after a 8-5 victory over Luis Vivas and Francisco Mendieta at No. 2 doubles. Mehdi Laalej and Pavel Mojha made it a 2-0 Fighting Knights lead after defeating No. 15 Othmane Lalami and Birkir Gunnarsson, 8-5, at the top spot. N. Pinones-Haltenhoff and Miguel Grifol took down Lynn's third doubles team of Daniel Riggs and Fernando Rivas, 8-6, to trail 2-1 heading into singles.
No. 23 Riggs was the first to finish in singles play defeating No. 7 Vincent Dubosclard, 6-4, 6-2, at the top of the lineup for a 3-1 Blue & White lead. Rivas won his opening set, 6-1, over 8th-ranked Pinones-Haltenhoff at No. 2 singles but fell in back-to-back sets, 6-2, 6-1, to fall to the Warhawk. Laalej gave Lynn a two-point cushion once again with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4 singles over Vivas and but Mojha's three-set loss to No. 39 Grifol, 7-6, 2-6, 6-4, would make it a 4-3 match. Volpicelli lost, 6-4, 6-1, to Gunnarsson at the bottom of the lineup evening the match score to 4-all.
The match game down to the No. 5 court where Iannozzi won the first set 6-2 over 21st-ranked Lalami. But AUM's fifth man would not go down easy taking the second set 6-1 to force a third and deciding set. Iannozzi emerged triumphant 7-6 (10-8) to push the Blue & White to victory.
The Fighting Knights will host Florida Tech on Saturday, March 28, in Sunshine State Conference action as the Blue & White looks for its third SS win of the year. First serve is slated for 2 pm at the Perper Tennis Complex.
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