FLORENCE, SC – Freshman Liam Day helped contributed a pair of points with singles and doubles wins to lead Francis Marion University to a 4-1 season-opening win over Newberry College, Friday afternoon (Feb. 7) in the first round of the second-annual City of Florence Men's College Tennis Invitational.

The two-day event is being played at the City of Florence/Dr. Eddie Floyd Tennis Center.  Admission is free. The Patriots (1-0) will face Barton College in a semifinal match on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the final round of men's matches set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Patriot sophomore Brandon Sweeney and junior Matt Astell earned a 6-1 victory at No.2 doubles, while Day and senior Mauricio Guerrero clinched the doubles point for Francis Marion with a 6-2 win at No.3.

Nationally ranked (No.27) player Edison Ambarzumjan evened the match for Newberry (3-2) with a win at the top singles spot, but FMU responded with wins at the next three positions to advance in the winners' bracket.  Graduate student and FMU newcomer Alex Regner (FMU) won 6-2, 6-3 at No.4, while Day earned a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No.3 and junior William Anth-Forsberg (FMU) won 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 at No.2.

MEN'S TENNIS
Francis Marion University 4, Newberry College 1
Singles competition
1. #27 Edison Ambarzumjan (NBY) def. Brandon Sweeney (FMU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Will Anth-Forsberg (FMU) def. Enrico Haas (NBY) 7-6 (7-5), 6-0
3. Liam Day (FMU) def. Luca Kirchhoff (NBY) 6-3, 6-3
4. Alex Regner (FMU) def. Marcel Schomburg (NBY) 6-2, 6-3
5. Matt Astell (FMU) vs. Lawrence Friedland (NBY) 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), unfinished
6. Henri Broeseler (FMU) vs. I. Garcia De Soca (NBY) 7-5, 4-3, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Will Anth-Forsberg/Alex Regner (FMU) vs. Edison Ambarzumjan/Enrico Haas (NBY) 5-2, unfinished
2. Brandon Sweeney/Matt Astell (FMU) def. Marcel Schomburg/I. Garcia De Soca (NBY) 6-1
3. Liam Day/Mauricio Guerrero (FMU) def. Luca Kirchhoff/Lawrence Friedland (NBY) 6-2

Match Notes:  Newberry College 3-2 ; Francis Marion University 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (1,4,3,2)
2nd-annual City Of Florence College Tennis Invitational