Men's Tennis Bounces Back with 5-2 Win at Saint Francis (Pa.)

MONROEVILLE, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team put forth a strong singles performance, taking five of six matches, to overcome an early deficit and top Saint Francis (Pa.), 5-2, at The Club Health and Sport on Monday afternoon.

Saint Joseph's (5-4) fell behind during doubles play, as sophomore Peter Dewitt and freshman Dan Tan were 6-3 winners in the third flight, but the Red Flash pulled out wins in the top two flights to secure the point.

However, the Hawks ripped off three straight singles victories to take control of the match. Junior Tristan Boustany started things off with a straight-sets 6-2, 6-4 win in the third flight, while junior Kyle Chalmers and senior Renier Moolman finished off tough, three-set battles in the second and first flights, respectively, to give SJU a commanding advantage.

Saint Francis (6-4) earned a point in the fourth flight, but senior Kevin Gates clinched the win with a 6-4, 6-1 victory in the fifth before Dewitt finished off the match with a win in a supertiebreaker in the sixth flight.

“With our captain, Andres Urrea, out due to injury, the team overcame the doubles point loss and bounced back with an excellent singles performance against a talented Saint Francis squad,” head coach Ian Crookenden said. “Special note should be made of Renier's comeback win at the number-one position and a good win by co-captain Kyle Chalmers in the number-two spot.”

The Hawks will go for two in a row on Tuesday when they take on conference foe St. Bonaventure.

Saint Joseph's 5, Saint Francis (Pa.) 2

Doubles

1. Alec Dylan Foo-Kune / Washi Gervais (SFU) def. Kyle Chalmers / Andre Fick (SJU), 6-4

2. Plamen Avuski / Jan Vit Suntar (SFU) def. Tristan Boustany / Kevin Gates (SJU), 6-3

3. Peter Dewitt / Dan Tan (SJU) def. Eli Cerdan / Robin van der Heijden (SFU), 6-3

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1

Singles

1. Renier Moolman (SJU) def. Gervais (SFU), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5)

2. Chalmers (SJU) def. Foo-Kune (SFU), 7-5, 5-7, 6-4

3. Boustany (SJU) def. Suntar (SFU), 6-2, 6-4

4. Avuski (SFU) def. Fick (SJU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4