COLUMBUS, GA. – Lander University won two of three doubles matches and the 11th-ranked Bearcats went on to claim a 5-2 victory over 14th-ranked Francis Marion University, Sunday morning (May 1) in a first-round match at the Southeast Regional of the 2011 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Tournament.
Lander (17-5) advances to face the hosts, Columbus State University, in Monday's regional title match. The regional is being played at the Mary V. Blackmon Tennis Center on the CSU campus.
Francis Marion ends its season with a 10-8 record.
Lander, which holds the record for most Division II men's tennis national championships at eight, captured a 9-7 win at No.1 doubles and an 8-3 decision at the No.2 spot. FMU's duo of Dirk Bair and Tim Ruepke were victorious 8-5 at No.3 doubles.
Lander then took a 4-2 advantage with straight-set wins at the No.3 and No.4 singles positions. Francis Marion gained one point back when senior Oshada Wijemanne, ranked eighth nationally in singles, upset fifth-ranked Paul-Henri Arrigoni 6-3, 6-1 at the No.1 spot.
However, Lander clinched the match when Christopher Mattson defeated Tanguy Montoisy 6-3, 6-2 at No.6 singles. FMU was up a set in the other two unfinished singles matches.
Wijemanne ends his career with 56 singles wins – second-most in the program's history. The Patriots will also lose two other seniors: Karl Rogers and Mickey Poirier.
NCAA II SE Regional Men's Tennis Match
May 1, 2011 at Columbus, GA
#11 Lander University 5, #14 Francis Marion University 2
Singles competition
1. #8 Oshada Wijemanne (FMUM) def. #5 Paul-Henri Arrigoni (LU-M) 6-3, 6-1
2. Henrik Willers (LU-M) vs. Alex Caspari (FMUM) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
3. Carlos Marques (LU-M) def. Tim Ruepke (FMUM) 6-3, 6-0
4. Oscar Perman (LU-M) def. Jack Bishop (FMUM) 6-0, 6-0
5. Oscar Axelsson (LU-M) vs. Karl Rogers (FMUM) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
6. Christopher Mattson (LU-M) def. Tanguy Montoisy (FMUM) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Paul-Henri Arrigoni/Oscar Perman (LU-M) def. #18 Alex Caspari/Karl Rogers (FMUM) 9-7
2. Henrik Willers/Oscar Axelsson (LU-M) def. Oshada Wijemanne/Jack Bishop (FMUM) 8-3
3. Tim Ruepke/Dirk Bair (FMUM) def. Christopher Mattson/Ross Armstrong (LU-M) 8-5
Match Notes:
Francis Marion University 10-8; National ranking #14; Regional ranking #5
Lander University 17-5; National ranking #11; Regional ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,4,1,6)
2011 NCAA Southeast Regional Bracket #2
No. 3 Lander vs. No. 6 Francis Marion
T-3:00 A-48
