SAVANNAH, GA – Senior Dilshod Sharifi closed out a
four-hour, 53-minute marathon match with a three-set singles win to
carry 13th-ranked Francis Marion University to a 5-4
come-from-behind win over 15th-ranked Flagler College, Friday
afternoon (May 7) in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II
Southeast Regional Men's Tennis Tournament in Savannah, Ga.
The Patriots improve to 12-7 and advance to face second-ranked
Armstrong Atlantic State University in the regional final on
Saturday at 10 a.m. The 28-1 Pirates beat 24th-ranked
Lees-McRae College 5-0 on Friday morning. The winner of
Saturday's region final advances to the Division II Men's Tennis
Championships Round of 16 in Altamonte Springs, Fla., on May
12-15.
Flagler ends its season 14-9, with three of the losses coming at
the hands of the Patriots. This marks the fourth consecutive trip
to the NCAA Tournament that Francis Marion has won its opening
match.
Trailing 4-2, Francis Marion got three-set singles wins from the
veteran trio of Sharifi, Oshada Wijemanne, and Karl Rogers.
Rogers notched a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Tim Hansson at No. 5
singles to bring FMU to within 4-3. Wijemanne, ranked 13th
nationally, then beat Harry Snoxell 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, at No. 2 singles
to even the match at 4-4.
All eyes then turned to the completion of the third set at No. 1
singles where Sharifi, ranked second nationally, and 10th-ranked
David Cotrone played for the right for their team to advance.
After Sharifi had won the opening set 7-6 in a tiebreaker, Cotrone
forced a third set by winning 7-5. Sharifi gained an early
break in the third set and went on to win 6-2.
Flagler claimed two of the three doubles matches to take an
early 2-1 advantage. Only the Patriot duo of Alex Caspari and
Rogers were victorious at the No.3 spot.
Francis Marion won the first set in four of the six singles
matches to open up the opportunity for the comeback. A quick win by
Jack Bishop, 6-2, 6-2 over Mason Addison, at No. 6 singles drew the
match even at 2-2. Flagler collected straight-set singles wins at
the No. 3 and No. 4 positions to take the 4-2 lead.
2010 NCAA II Southeast Regional (Men's Tennis
– Semifinal)
#13 Francis Marion University 5, #15 Flagler
4
May 06, 2010 at Savannah, Ga. (Bacon Park)
Singles
competition
1. #2 Dilshod Sharifi (FMUM) def. #10 David Cotrone (FCM)
7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-2
2. #13 Oshada Wijemanne (FMUM) def. Harry Snoxell (FCM)
6-4, 4-6, 6-3
3. Gino Ramirez (FCM) def. Dirk Bair (FMUM) 7-5,
6-2
4. Peter Coulis (FCM) def. Alex Caspari (FMUM) 6-4,
6-3
5. Karl Rogers (FMUM) def. Tim Hansson (FCM) 6-4, 4-6,
6-4
6. Jack Bishop (FMUM) def. Mason Addison (FCM) 6-2,
6-2
Doubles
competition
1. #9 David Cotrone/Gino Ramirez (FCM) def. #7 Dilshod
Sharifi/Oshada Wijemanne (FMUM) 8-6
2. Tim Hansson/Harry Snoxell (FCM) def. Dirk Bair/Jack
Bishop (FMUM) 8-5
3. Alex Caspari/Karl Rogers (FMUM) def. Skyler Engel/Peter
Coulis (FCM) 8-6
Match Notes
Flagler 14-9; National ranking #15
Francis Marion University 12-7; National ranking
#13
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles
(6,3,4,5,2,1)
2010 NCAA Southeast Regional - Second Round
T-4:53 A-75
FMU's Dirk Bair during Friday's NCAA
action.
