Flash Points:

• SFU Men's Tennis opened its 2017 spring schedule with a 5-2 win over Northern Kentucky on Saturday.
• The Red Flash dropped the doubles point, but won five singles matches.
• Freshman Arturo Dell'eva (Verona, Italy/Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy) and sophomore Jan Vit Suntar (Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia/Gimnazija Kranj) each won a singles match and paired up for a doubles win.

DAYTON, Ohio – The Saint Francis men's tennis team began its Spring season with a 5-2 victory over Northern Kentucky on Saturday.  The Red Flash lost the doubles point, but bounced back to win five singles matches.

"This is a good start for the guys," said Head Coach Rob Castille. "Northern Kentucky has some very strong players and they are welloached. Coach Nester always has his players ready to compete hard."
 
Freshman Arturo Dell'eva (Verona, Italy/Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy) and sophomore Jan Vit Suntar (Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia/Gimnazija Kranj) combined at No. 2 doubles against NKU's Court Clark and Adrian Isache.  The Red Flash duo earned a 6-3 win. 
 
At the top doubles spot, junior Alec Dylan Foo-Kune (Phoenix, Mauritius/International Connections Academy (Md.)) and senior Rodrigo Tico (Guadalajara, Mexico/Colegio de Bachilleres) paired up against the Norse's Lukas Clemens and Mate Virag.  However, the SFU pair fell 6-4.
 
In the third doubles position, freshman Franz Luna (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Laurel Springs) and sophomore Robin van der Heijden (Burgh Haamstede, Netherlands/Scheldmond College) matched up against Northern Kentucky's Nick Lang and Andrew Niehaus.  The SFU duo dropped a 6-1 decision.

"I was disappointed with our doubles," said Castille. "We needed more energy and we have to play smarter. This will definitely be a focus of ours in the coming weeks. But I was very pleased with how the guys responded. They put losing the doubles point behind them and came out and played some solid singles. We'll look to carry this momentum over into our match tomorrow against a very good Wright State team."
 
Luna took on NKU's Niehaus at the No. 2 singles spot.  The Red Flash rookie won the opening set, 6-3.  He bettered that performance in the second set, winning 6-1.  Luna improved to 8-3 overall this year.
 
At the third singles spot, Tico met Northern Kentucky's Isache.  The SFU senior claimed the first set, 6-4.  He completed the sweep with a 6-2 victory in the second set.
 
Dell'eva faced the Norse's Clark at the No. 4 position.  In a tough first set, Dell'eva came out on top, 7-6.  He earned a straight-set victory with a 6-4 second set to improve to 6-1 overall.  Dell'eva's win clinched the match point for the Red Flash.
 
Senior Plamen Avuski (Plovdiv, Bulgaria /Math High School ) matched up at No. 5 against NKU's Blaine Carr.  The Red Flash senior picked up a 6-3 win in the opening set.  He repeated that performance in the next set, winning 6-3.  Avuski is now 8-2 overall.
 
In the match at No. 6, Suntar met NKU's Lang.  The SFU sophomore won the first set, 6-4.  He topped that performance in the second set, winning 6-2, to clinch a straight-set victory.  Suntar is now 6-2 overall.
 
Foo-Kune competed at the top singles spot against the Norse's Virag.  Foo-Kune took the first set, 6-4, but Virag responded by winning the second set, 6-0.  In a tight deciding set, Virag came out on top, 7-5.
 
The Red Flash returns to action on Sunday as it battles Wright State at 3 p.m.  The Raiders fell 7-0 at Michigan State on Saturday.
 
Doubles:
1. Clemens/Virag(NKU) def. Foo-Kune/Tico(SFU), 6-4.
2. Dell'eva/Suntar(SFU) def. Clark/Isache(NKU), 6-3.
3. Lang/Niehaus(NKU) def. Luna/van der Heijden(SFU), 6-1.
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
 
Singles:
1. Virag(NKU) def. Foo-Kune(SFU), 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
2. Luna(SFU) def. Niehaus(NKU), 6-3, 6-1.
3. Tico(SFU) def. Isache(NKU), 6-4, 6-2.
4. Dell'eva(SFU) def. Clark(NKU), 7-6, 6-4.
5. Avuski(SFU) def. Carr(NKU), 6-3, 6-3.
6. Suntar(SFU) def. Lang(NKU), 6-4, 6-2.
Order of Finish: 3,5,6,4,2,1