FLORENCE, SC – Barton College earned the doubles point in a tiebreaker and then won three singles matches to edge 28th-ranked Francis Marion University 4-3, Wednesday afternoon (March 20) in Conference Carolinas men's tennis play.
 
Francis Marion (6-5, 0-1) will travel to the University of Mount Olive on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. conference match-up.
 
FMU's 38th-ranked doubles duo of junior Martin Barbera and senior Leonel Gonzalez won 6-4 at the No.1 position, but Barton (3-6, 1-0) came away with a pair of 7-6 victories in tiebreakers at the other two doubles matches to go ahead 1-0.
 
Gonzalez evened the match at 1-1 as singles play commenced with a quick 6-2, 6-1 win at the No.3 spot.  The Bulldogs regained the lead with straight-sets victory at No.2 singles, but Barbera claimed a 6-2, 6-3 decision at the top position to again even the match.
 
Barton went up 3-2 with a win at No.4 singles, but Patriot freshman Alexander Mirkov rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory at No.5 singles to deadlock the match at 3-3.
 
However, Barton clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-1 win at No.6 singles.
 
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
03/20/2024 at Florence, SC (Kassab Courts)
Barton College 4, #28 Francis Marion University 3
Singles competition
1. Martin Barbera (FMU) def. Felipe Mioch (BARTON) 6-2, 6-3
2. Hannes Tylehed (BARTON) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Aditya Chauhan (BARTON) 6-2, 6-1
4. G. Busquets Brau (BARTON) def. Ben Scott (FMU) 7-5, retired
5. Alexander Mirkov (FMU) def. Deni Furtado Brlenic (BARTON) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Johan Holgersson (BARTON) def. Carlson Lim (FMU) 7-5, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #38 Martin Barbera/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Wilhelm Karlsson/Johan Holgersson (BARTON) 6-4
2. G. Busquets Brau/Hannes Tylehed (BARTON) def. #42 Austin Vienna/Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) 7-6 (7-4)
3. Brad Beck/Felipe Mioch (BARTON) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans/Pedro Caro (FMU) 7-6 (7-5)
 
Match Notes:  Barton College 3-6, 1-0
Francis Marion University 6-5, 0-1; National ranking #28
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,2,1,4,5,6)