WILSON, NC – After losing the doubles point and the first singles match to finish, Francis Marion University rallied from that 0-2 deficit with five straight singles wins to claim a 5-2 Conference Carolinas win over Barton College, Wednesday afternoon (Apr. 15) in men's tennis play.
 
Francis Marion wins its fourth consecutive match to even its overall record at 9-9 and up its conference mark to 7-4.  The Patriots will conclude their regular season with a road match at Chowan University on Saturday afternoon. At 2 p.m.
 
Despite FMU sophomore Miguel Maia and freshman Viktor Viraghalmi winning 6-2 at No.1 doubles, Barton won the other matches to take the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bulldogs then won at the top singles position to expand their margin to 2-0.
 
Francis Marion freshman Koldo Zuniga started the rally with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No.5 singles.  Viraghalmi then claimed a 6-3, 6-3 win at the No.3 position and sophomore Diego Vega Espinosa was victorious 6-4, 6-3 at the sixth rung.
 
Patriot freshman Boris van Ruiten provided the match-clinching point with a 6-4, 7-5 win at the No.2 slot, before junior Alexander Mirkov contributed the final point with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory at the No.4 position.
 
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
04/15/2026 at Wilson, N.C. (Michalak Tennis Complex)
Francis Marion University 5, Barton 2
Singles competition
1. Nicola Bottelberghs (BARTON) def. Miguel Maia (FMU) 7-5, 4-3, retired
2. Boris van Ruiten (FMU) def. Fredrik Foss (BARTON) 6-4, 7-5
3. Viktor Viraghalmi (FMU) def. Diego Rodriguez (BARTON) 6-3, 6-3
4. Alexander Mirkov (FMU) def. William Drake (BARTON) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Koldo Zuniga (FMU) def. Juliann Starland (BARTON) 6-2, 6-1
6. Diego Vega Espinosa (FMU) def. Sean Maphosa (BARTON) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Fredrik Foss/Nicola Bottelberghs (BARTON) def. Alexandre Frigout/Boris van Ruiten (FMU) 6-3
2. Miguel Maia/Viktor Viraghalmi (FMU) def. Sean Maphosa/William Drake (BARTON) 6-2
3. Diego Rodriguez/Juliann Starland (BARTON) def. Diego Vega Espinosa/A. Calvo Guerrero (FMU) 6-4
 
Match Notes: Francis Marion University 9-9, 7-4 CC
Barton 2-15, 2-8 CC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,5,3,6,2,4)
Official: Phillip DeWalt T-2:00 A-75