ORLANDO, Fla. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team put forth a valiant effort, but ultimately fell to seventh-seeded St. Bonaventure, 4-2, in the First Round of the 2024 Atlantic 10 Men's Tennis Championship at the USTA National Campus on Thursday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• St. Bonaventure took the doubles point to grab the early lead.  Othman Bezzaz and Ernesto Ruy were 6-4 winners in the first flight, but the Bonnies won the second and third to go ahead.
 
• The Bonnies won the fourth singles flight to double their lead, but Bezzaz rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 win in the third flight to get the Hawks on the board.  Ruy then rallied from a set down to finish off a three-set win, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, to tie the match.
 
• Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, St. Bonaventure would take the fifth and sixth flights in three sets to secure advancement to the quarterfinals.
 
HAWK TALK
"Today was a heartbreaker," head coach Jeff Puhan said.  "I'm so proud of this team, as they came together and played their hearts out, and that's all I could ask for.  For nearly four hours they gave everything and fell just short.  It's only making this group hungry for next year."
 
RESULTS
 
St. Bonaventure 4, Saint Joseph's 2
 
Doubles
1. Othman Bezzaz / Ernesto Ruy (SJU) def. Hugo Cochlin / Archie Graham (SBU), 6-4
2. Anargha Ganguly / Jean Marrero (SBU) def. John Butler / Eli Gan-Dy (SJU), 6-3
3. Rasmus Egehus / Connor Turner (SBU) def. Justus Agbo / Stergios Achilleas Papadopoulos (SJU), 7-6 (5)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
 
Singles
1. Graham (SBU) led Agbo (SJU), 6-4, 6-7 (5), 2-1 (unfinished)
2. Ruy (SJU) def. Ganguly (SBU), 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
3. Bezzaz (SJU) def. Egehus (SBU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Turner (SBU) def. Papadopoulos (SJU), 6-3, 6-2
5. Marrero (SBU) def. Jack Campbell (SJU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. Norka Sanchez (SBU) def. Gan-Dy (SJU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 2, 5, 6