FLORENCE, SC – Despite inspiring play by sophomore Liam Day, the young Francis Marion University men's team dropped a pair of tough matches on the opening day of the Raines Company City of Florence Invitational Tournament, Saturday (Feb. 5) at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center.
 
FMU dropped a 4-0 decision to eighth-ranked Lander University in the season-opener, then lost 4-3 to the University of Mount Olive in a match that went down to the final singles match.  The matches were the first for FMU under first-year head coach Jay Evans.
 
The Patriots (0-2) will conclude tournament play on Sunday when they play Coker University at 9 a.m.
 
Lander captured the doubles point with 6-2 wins at spots No.2 and 3.  In singles competition, the Bearcats were victorious at positions two, four, and six.  Day was leading 6-4, 5-1 at the No.1 spot when play was halted as the Bearcats had the needed four points.
 
Against UMO, Day and sophomore Leonel Gonzalez won at No.1 doubles 6-2, but the Trojans captured a 6-3 victory at No.3 and later a hard-fought 7-5 win at No.2 to record the doubles point.
 
In singles play, Day registered a 7-5, 7-5 win over Armando Ferreira, the reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Year (2021) at the top spot.  The other Francis Marion points came from freshman Harri Lloyd-Evans (a 6-1, 6-3 winner at No.2) and Gonzalez at No.3 (6-2, 6-4).
 
Mount Olive posted wins at the bottom three singles positions, two of which were in three sets, including a clinching 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 decision at No.6.
 
 
Men's Tennis
Feb 05, 2022 at Florence, SC
(Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center)
#8 Lander University 4, Francis Marion University 0
Singles competition
1. Liam Day (FMU) vs. Bailey Horne (LUM) 6-4, 5-1, unfinished
2. Thomas De Negri (LUM) def. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) vs. Hugo Regner (LUM) 1-6, 5-4, unfinished
4. Alexandre Crepy (LUM) def. Martin Barbera (FMU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Adam Ernberg (FMU) vs. Nicolas Chan (LUM) 1-6, 0-5, unfinished
6. Emilien Baradel (LUM) def. Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Liam Day/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) vs. Bailey Horne/Matthew De Groot (LUM) 5-5, unfinished
2. Thomas De Negri/Alexandre Crepy (LUM) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans/Martin Barbera (FMU) 6-2
3. Hugo Regner/Nick Beamish (LUM) def. Adam Ernberg/Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 6-2
 
Match Notes:  Lander University 1-0; National ranking #8
Francis Marion University 0-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (2,4,6)
Raines Company City of Florence Invitational
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
2/5/2022 at Florence, SC
(Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center)
Univ. of Mount Olive 4, Francis Marion University 3
Singles competition
1. Liam Day (FMU) def. Armando Ferreira (UMO-M) 7-5, 7-5
2. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) def. Adam Ibrahim (UMO-M) 6-1, 6-3
3. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Aditya Balda (UMO-M) 6-2, 6-4
4. Israel Rojas (UMO-M) def. Martin Barbera (FMU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
5. Gregory Normand (UMO-M) def. Adam Ernberg (FMU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Diego Ortega Cadahia (UMO-M) def. Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 6-2, 0-6, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Liam Day/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Armando Ferreira/Aditya Balda (UMO-M) 6-2
2. Gregory Normand/Elios Briand (UMO-M) def. Martin Barbera/Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) 7-5
3. Adam Ibrahim/Diego Ortega Cadahia (UMO-M) def. Adam Ernberg/Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 6-3
 
Match Notes:  Univ. of Mount Olive 1-1
Francis Marion University 0-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,3,5,1,4,6)
Raines Company City of Florence Tennis Invitational