BOX SCORE Flash Points:
- SFU Men's Tennis earned a 4-1 win over Sacred Heart to move to the NEC Semifinals.
- The Red Flash, the No. 3 seed, will meet No. 2 seed Wagner on Saturday at 10 a.m.
- SFU dropped the doubles point, but won four singles matches to clinch the victory.
- Saint Francis is 8-12 overall and will look to advance to the NEC Championship match for the third straight season.
NEC Championship Central | Men's NEC Bracket
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Saint Francis Men's Tennis team advanced the NEC Semifinals with a 4-1 win over No. 6 seed Sacred Heart on Friday at the Mercer County Tennis Center. The Red Flash, the No. 3 seed in the bracket, dropped the doubles point, but won four singles matches to clinch the victory. Saint Francis is now 8-12 overall, while Sacred Heart finished its season with a 4-15 mark.
The Red Flash will take on No. 2 seed Wagner on Saturday in the NEC Semifinals. The Seahawks defeated No. 7 seed St. Francis Brooklyn, 4-2, on Friday. Wagner is 13-8 this season. The Red Flash dropped a 4-3 decision against the Seahawks on April 1. SFU will look to reach the NEC Championship match for the third straight season.
At No. 2 doubles, sophomore
Franz Luna (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Laurel Springs) and freshman
Sebastian Pinos (Quito, Ecuador/Compuinformatica) met the Pioneers' Bryan Einstoss and Cory Seltman. The Red Flash duo earned a 6-2 win to improve to 12-8 this Spring.
In the match at No. 1, senior
Alec Dylan Foo-Kune (Phoenix, Mauritius/International Connections Academy (Md.)) and junior
Jan Vit Suntar (Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia/Gimnazija Kranj) battled SHU's Derek Chapman and Seiji Hosokowa. The SFU pair fell 6-4.
Sophomore
Eduardo Garcia (Toluca, Mexico/Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico) and freshman
Charles Morkel (Cape Town, South Africa/Paul Roos Gymnasium) took on Sacred Heart's Francisco Del Valle and Chris Sause. The SFU duo dropped a 6-4 decision.
Luna faced SHU's Hosokowa at No. 1 singles. After falling 6-3 in the first set, Luna bounced back to win the second set, 6-2. In the deciding set, Luna came out on top, 6-4, to move to 11-9 in dual matches.
Foo-Kune battled the Pioneers' Chapman at No. 2. The SFU senior claimed the opening set, 6-2. He dominated the second set, 6-0, to complete the straight-set victory. Foo-Kune improved to 13-6 this Spring.
Morkel competed at No. 3 against Sacred Heart's Cory Seltman. The Red Flash rookie won the first set, 6-3. In a tight second set, Morkel won 7-5 to move to 6-6 this Spring.
At No. 6, Suntar took on SHU's Del Valle. The SFU senior earned a 6-2 win in the first set. Suntar completed the sweep with a 6-4 second set victory. He is now 4-4 this season.
Pinos faced the Pioneers' Sause at No. 4. In a tough opening set, Pinos came out on top, 7-6, with a 7-5 tiebreaker. However, Pinos dropped the second set, 7-5. In the final set, Pinos was leading 2-0 when the match was stopped.
In the match at No. 5, Garcia met SHU's Einstoss. After falling 7-6 in the opening set, Garcia won 6-4. In the deciding set, the match was tied 1-1 when it was halted.
Doubles
1. Chapman/Hosokowa(SHU) def. Foo-Kune/Suntar(SFU), 6-4.
2. Luna/Pinos(SFU) def. Einstoss/Seltman(SHU), 6-2.
3. Del Valle/Sause(SHU) def. Garcia/Morkel(SFU), 6-4.
Singles:
1. Luna(SFU) def. Hosokowa(SHU), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
2. Foo-Kune(SFU) def. Chapman(SHU), 6-2, 6-0.
3. Morkel(SFU) def. Seltman(SHU), 6-3, 7-5.
4. Pinos(SFU) vs. Sause(SHU), 7-6(4), 5-7, 2-0, unfinished.
5. Garcia(SFU) vs. Einstoss(SHU), 6-7, 6-4, 1-1, unfinished.
6. Suntar(SFU) def. Del Valle(SHU), 6-2, 6-4.
