FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University juniors Liam Day and Leonel Gonzalez keyed a 6-1 non-conference win over Edinboro University, Wednesday afternoon (Mar. 8) in men's tennis action.
 
Francis Marion evens its season mark at 5-5 and will continue its four-match home stand by entertaining Lincoln Memorial University on Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
The victory came against a Fighting Scots squad (7-2) that learned after the match that it had just entered the latest ITA Top 50 national poll.
 
The doubles point came down to the final match after FMU sophomores Martin Barbera and Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) won at No.2 with a 6-4 decision, before Edinboro won 6-4 at the No.3 position.  Day and Gonzalez earned the doubles point for the Patriots with a 6-4 victory at the top spot.
 
In singles play, Day (6-2, 6-1) and sophomore Harri Lloyd-Evans (6-2, 7-6 [7-4]) upped the advantage to 3-0 with wins at positions No.1 and 3.
 
After Edinboro's Ruben Acuna (ranked 49th nationally in singles) defeated Barbera in three sets (6-3, 5-7, 6-4) at No.2 singles to pull the Fighting Scots to within 3-1, Gonzalez clinched the match for FMU with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 victory at the No.4 position.
 
FMU freshman Niklas Plath earned his first career singles win with a 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-7) decision at the No.6 spot, while Lopez Sarasa was victorious at No.5 singles by a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 score to account for the final margin.
 
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
03/08/2023 at Florence, SC (Kassab Courts)
Francis Marion University 6, Edinboro University 1
Singles competition
1. Liam Day (FMU) def. Bruno Sabio (EU-M) 6-2, 6-1
2. #49 Ruben Acuna (EU-M) def. Martin Barbera (FMU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
3. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) def. Manav Sreekumar (EU-M) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
4. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Gustavo Martins (EU-M) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
5. Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) def. Thibault Dorval (EU-M) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
6. Niklas Plath (FMU) def. Finn Unger (EU-M) 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-7)
Doubles competition
1. Liam Day/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Bruno Sabio/Rocco Palombarini (EU-M) 6-4
2. Martin Barbera/Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) def. Thibault Dorval/Manav Sreekumar (EU-M) 6-4
3. Ruben Acuna/Kaio Sacchi (EU-M) def. Adam Ernberg/Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) 6-4
 
Match Notes:  Edinboro University 7-2
Francis Marion University 5-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,3,2,4,6,5)