Men’s Tennis Gets By Fordham, 4-3

MEDIA, Pa. – After dropping the doubles point, the Saint Joseph's men's tennis team rallied to take the first four singles flights en route to a 4-3 win over Fordham at the Springton Indoor Tennis Club on Friday night.

“This was a match we were lucky to win,” head coach Ian Crookenden said. “Fordham had greater energy and at the outset, a stronger desire to win.”

Fordham (8-6 overall, 1-4 Atlantic 10) grabbed the early edge with wins in the second and third doubles flights. Senior Kyle Chalmers and sophomore Tim Stierle claimed a win in the first flight, taking a 6-2 result.

Saint Joseph's (9-8 overall, 3-4 Atlantic 10) turned things around in singles play, winning the first four matches to secure the team victory. Freshman Beekman Schaeffer got things started with a 6-2, 6-3 win in the fourth flight before Chalmers took his second-flight match, 6-3, 6-3, to put the Hawks in front.

Stierle then finished off his top-flight tilt with a 7-6 (7), 6-3 win to put the Hawks on the brink before junior Peter Dewitt sealed the win with a 7-5, 6-1 triumph in the sixth flight.

“Thanks to some steady singles play by Tim, Kyle, Beekman, and Peter we pulled out a victory, but we were very, very lucky,” Crookenden said. “Outdoors tomorrow against a talented Saint Francis squad, we had better come with a greater desire to win and a higher energy level or we will have our tails between our legs.”

The Hawks will host Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon. Play is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. at the SJU Tennis Complex.

Saint Joseph's 4, Fordham 3

Doubles

1. Kyle Chalmers / Tim Stierle (SJU) def. Jeremy Chung / Victor Li (FOR), 6-2

2. Tomas Cosmai / Allen Thornes (FOR) def. Andre Fick / Valentijn van Erven (SJU), 6-3

3. Nick Borak / Joseph Kavaloski (FOR) def. Tristan Boustany / Dan Tan (SJU), 6-3

Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2

Singles

1. Stierle (SJU) def. Li (FOR), 7-6 (7), 6-3

2. Chalmers (SJU) def. Cosmai (FOR), 6-3, 6-3

3. Fabian Mauritzson (FOR) def. Fick (SJU), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 10-6 (STB)

4. Beekman Schaeffer (SJU) def. Thornes (FOR), 6-2, 6-3