DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Southern men's tennis team suffered a 9-0 setback Saturday at the hands of Embry-Riddle, the second-ranked team in NAIA, at ERAU's Crotty Tennis Complex.
The Moccasins, who were ranked 34th in the preseason Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II men's poll, fall to 0-3 on the season while the Eagles improve to 3-0.
The Eagles began with victories in all three doubles competitions. FSC's top-ranked duo of freshman Derek Bell (Creve Coeur, Mo.) and sophomore Fabian Lundberg (Akersberga, Sweden) dropped the opening match, 8-2, to ERAU's top pair of Deni Zmak and Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios. Miguel Lopez Gomez and Luke de Caires earned an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles over freshmen Blaine Miller (Orlando, Fla.) and Brian Slivonik (Oyster Bay, N.Y.).
At the second flight, sophomore Laurent Mailloux (Montreal, Quebec) and senior Charles Garneau (L'ancienne-Lorette, Quebec) put up the toughest fight, but were defeated by Fabian Zierleyn and Carlos Becke, 8-6, in the final doubles matchup of the day.
The first four singles contests were decided in straight sets. However, the Mocs on courts three and six each forced a tiebreak game. Lundberg lost the first set to Carlos Becke 7-6 (7-4) before Becke finished the match 6-3 in the second set. In the last singles match of the day, Miller forced a tiebreak game in the second set, but was unable to overcome Rodolfo Arreygue 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). At No. 1 singles, Arthur Viallaneix (Apopka, Fla.) lost to Zmak 6-2, 6-1.
Florida Southern will host Saint Leo on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Warden Tennis Center in its first Sunshine State Conference competition of the spring.
