Hawks Top Saint Louis, 4-1, to Reach Quarterfinals at A-10 Men's Tennis Championship

MASON, Ohio – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team battled back from an early deficit to defeat ninth-seeded Saint Louis, 4-1, in the opening match of the 2015 Atlantic 10 Men's Tennis Championship on Thursday morning at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The eighth-seeded Hawks will move on to face top-seeded Richmond in the quarterfinals on Friday morning.

"After a shaky, nervous start in the doubles, the boys settled down against a stronger lineup than we faced earlier this season," said head coach Ian Crookenden.

Saint Louis (5-10) took the doubles point, coming from behind by virtue of wins in the first and third flights. The Hawks started doubles play off with a win in flight number two as Peter Dewitt and Renier Moolman took an 8-1 result against David Ferragut and Miguel Flores.

Saint Joseph's (10-9) put the match to bed quickly in singles play, winning matches in each of the first four flights in straight sets. Moolman dismissed Juan Calero, 6-3, 6-0, in flight number one to earn SJU's first point of the day. Kyle Chalmers then gave the Hawks a lead with a win in the third flight, cruising by Yehia El Sallaly, 6-4, 6-2.

Andres Urrea notched a point in the fourth flight, easing past Flores, 6-1, 6-4, before Pierre Brondeau shut down Ferragut, 6-4, 6-4, to win flight number two and clinch the match for SJU.

“Renier was strong at number one against the same opponent he had difficulty with in the first encounter,” Crookenden said. “Kyle and Andres then set the stage for Pierre to close out the match with a straight-sets victory over the player who had beaten him in the previous contest.

“We look forward to another great contest tomorrow against top-seeded Richmond tomorrow.”

The Hawks and Spiders will face off in the quarterfinal round on Friday at 10:00 a.m. Richmond came away with a hard-fought 4-3 win when the two teams met back in February.

#8 Saint Joseph's 4, #9 Saint Louis 1

Doubles

1. Juan Calero / John Nogalski (SLU) def. Kyle Chalmers / Andres Urrea (SJU), 8-3

2. Peter Dewitt / Renier Moolman (SJU) def. David Ferragut / Miguel Flores (SLU), 8-1

3. Brandon Harris / Charlie Parry (SLU) def. Pierre Brondeau / Mike Fallone (SJU), 8-4

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3

Singles

1. Moolman (SJU) def. Calero (SLU), 6-3, 6-0

2. Brondeau (SJU) def. Ferragut (SLU), 6-4, 6-4

3. Chalmers (SJU) def. Yehia El Sallaly (SLU), 6-4, 6-2

4. Urrea (SJU) def. Flores (SLU), 6-1, 6-4

5. Parry (SLU) led Tristan Boustany (SJU), 6-4, 1-6, 3-2, unfinished