Daytona Beach, Florida - The Fighting Knights kept their national title hopes alive by taking down No. 3 Saint Leo by a score of 4-3. Lynn was previously 0-2 against the Lions this season, dropping both their regular season and SSC Tournament Semifinal matchups. Lynn advances to take on the host of this section of the regional, Embry-Riddle, tomorrow at 10 a.m.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Match: No. 6 Lynn (16-4) 4 No. 3 Saint Leo (19-6) 3
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida | NCAA South Regional
Series History: Lynn leads 35-6
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Doubles play set the tone for the entire match, as Lynn narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory. The No. 5 pair in the nation of Ignacio Martinez and Will Kirkman defeated the No. 3 team of Bruno Faletto and Willem Van Den Akker 6-3 to give Lynn the 1-0 advantage. The Lions picked up the win in third doubles, putting all the pressure on the second doubles pairs.
- In second doubles, the 42nd-ranked pair of Lucca Baptista and Diego Gonzalez pulled out the 6-4 win to give Lynn the first point of the day.
- In singles, Saint Leo took all the momentum early, winning the first set of all six matchups. They ended up winning first singles, fourth singles and sixth singles in straight sets to put themselves within one point of winning the match.
- Gabriele Felline picked up the second point for Lynn, winning fifth singles 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
- No. 16 Baptista battled against No. 65 Nicola Bacella. After dropping the first set 6-3, Baptista fought back to win the remaining sets 6-2 and 6-4.
- All eyes turned to third singles with the match on the line. No. 27 Vincent Thiel took the first set against national No. 69 Martinez 7-5. Martinez battled back with an easy 6-1 win in the second set. In the third set, the players traded points. Thiel led both 5-4 and 6-5, but Martinez would not go away. In the tiebreaker, Martinez won 7-3 to give Lynn the match and send them into the next round of the tournament.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Knights will take on No. 2 Embry-Riddle tomorrow at 10 a.m. The two teams split their matchups this season, with Lynn winning in the regular season and the Eagles winning in the SSC Tournament Third-Place Match. The winner of the match will advance to play in Altamonte Springs, Florida on Wednesday, May 18 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championships.
About the Lynn University Fighting Knights
Lynn's NCAA Division II Fighting Knights have won 25 national championships, 14 individual titles and 48 conference championships. The Blue and White are a member of the Sunshine State Conference, the Division II "Conference of National Champions." Lynn University is an independent college based in Boca Raton, Florida. U.S. News & World Report has recognized Lynn for its innovation, international students and value. To keep up to date on Lynn Athletics, follow @Lynn_Knights on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
