MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team battled Fordham for five hours on Saturday, ultimately falling to the Rams, 4-3, in the regular season finale for both teams at the SJU Tennis Complex.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Hawks took the early lead with wins in the top two doubles flights.  Othman Bezzaz and Ernesto Ruy rolled in the top flight while Matthew Dubas and Santiago Valle cruised in the second.
 
• Fordham won the first two singles flights, but Valle took a straight-sets victory in the third to tie the score.  The Rams moved to within a point of victory with a win in the fourth flight, but Bezzaz finished off a three-setter in the fifth to tie the score once again.
 
• In the sixth flight, Eli Gan-Dy bounced back to win the second set and then fended off multiple match points in the third to force a tiebreak.  Ultimately, his opponent emerged victorious to clinch the match.
 
HAWK TALK
"Boy oh boy, what an epic final match," head coach Jeff Puhan said.  "A five-hour team match.  I'm so proud of Eli, who was 5-6 down in the third set and saved three match points to force the tiebreaker.
 
"We will rebound and be stronger at A-10s next week."
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will head to Orlando, Florida, to kick off the Atlantic 10 Championship on Wednesday, April 23.
 
RESULTS
 
Fordham 4, Saint Joseph's 3
 
Doubles
1. Othman Bezzaz / Ernesto Ruy (SJU) def. Dhananjay Athreya / Dhillon Virdee-Oakley (FOR), 6-2
2. Matthew Dubas / Santiago Valle (SJU) def. Filip Horak / Phillip Uhdel (FOR), 6-2
3. Nicolas Garnier / Will Lokier (FOR) led Justus Agbo / Eli Gan-Dy (SJU), 5-2, unfinished
Order of Finish: 2, 1
 
Singles
1. Virdee-Oakley (FOR) def. Agbo (SJU), 6-2, 6-3
2. Horak (FOR) def. Ruy (SJU), 3-0, retired
3. Valle (SJU) def. Lokier (FOR), 6-3, 6-3
4. Athreya (FOR) def. Dubas (SJU), 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
5. Bezzaz (SJU) def. Garnier (FOR), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
6. Jeremy Victoria (FOR) def. Gan-Dy (SJU), 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (4)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6