ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Just 24 hours since dispatching N.C. A&T by a 6-1 score, the Longwood men's tennis team stretched its win streak to three in a row with a 4-3 win over 2018 Big South runner-up Winthrop Sunday afternoon at the Rock Hill Tennis Cente.
Kicking off conference play, the Lancers (8-3, 1-0 Big South) defeated an Eagles (7-6, 2-1 Big South) team that came into the match previously undefeated in Big South play.
Marc Casanovas and
Raisei Sakai each posted three-set victories to cap a comeback effort that helped the Lancers win their fourth straight match and sixth in the last seven to capture a victory in their Big South opener for the second time in three seasons.
"We're proud of the guys especially Marc and Sakai," said Longwood director of tennis
Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez. "They pulled it off and won at their position to win the last two matches and help us get a big win."
Longwood won the doubles point with efforts made by Casanovas and Guilermo Cagigas in a 6-0 win at the No. 2 position started the trend of a clean sweep by defeating Winthrop's pair of Alberto Tinagli and Aditya Gokhale.
Amadeo Blasco and
Guilherme Sergio teamed together to defeat Connor Williamson and Diego Quiroz 6-4 at the No.1 position to seal the doubles point.
Julian Farthing and Sakai held a 4-3 lead in their match over Gabriel Dias and Lluis Miralles on court three before the match was left unfinished.
In singles, Farthing dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Gokhale at the No. 5 position, as Winthrop put the first two points on to the scoreboard in singles play after Cagigas was defeated by Dias 6-4, 6-2 on court three. An effort to keep the Lancers in the match was made by Sergio at the No. 2 position with a 7-5, 6-1 win against Williamson.
Blasco, the No. 115 nationally ranked player in the latest ITA rankings, lost his first singles match of the dual season and first since dropping his quarterfinal match in the ITA Atlantic Regional. In a hard-fought, three-set match, Blasco came back after dropping the first set 6-3 to win the second set 6-4 and force a decisive third set. Blasco was unable to get over the hump, as Quiroz took the final set win 7-6 to hand Winthrop a 3-2 lead.
With the match on the line and the Lancers needing to take the final two matches on the court, Sakai posted a win on court four over Tingali in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Casanovas delivered the clinching match point in a thrilling three-setter at the No. 6 position against Miralles 6-4, 5-7, 6-0.
"It's been amazing, that feeling of seeing everyone running to celebrate that huge win, it's been incredible." Casanovas said, "All the work we've been putting during practices now pays off. Now it's time to keep the focus up for the next challenges that are ahead."
With the win, the men hope to use continue this momentum, as conference play is starting to unfold. The Lancers will have two days to prepare for Commonwealth rival Radford, looking for its first 2-0 start since joining the Big South. First serve is set for 1 p.m., in Radford, Va.
"I'm happy for the team," Alvarez said. "We just need to keep working hard and get ready for Wednesday against Radford. Right now, we're going to celebrate for the institution and for the guys."
Longwood 4, WINTHROP 3
Mar 17, 2019 at Rock Hill, S.C. (Rock Hill Tennis Center)
Singles:
1. QUIROZ, Diego (WIN) def. BLASCO, Amadeo (LWU) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9)
2. SERGIO, Guilherme (LWU) def. WILLIAMSON, Connor (WIN) 7-5, 6-1
3. DIAS, Gabriel (WIN) def. CAGIGAS, Guillermo (LWU) 6-4, 6-2
4. SAKAI, Raisei (LWU) def. TINAGLI, Alberto (WIN) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
5. GOKHALE, Aditya (WIN) def. FARTHING, Julian (LWU) 6-3, 6-2
6. CASASNOVAS, Marc (LWU) def. MIRALLES, Lluis (WIN) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
Doubles:
1. BLASCO, Amadeo/SERGIO, Guilherme (LWU) def. WILLIAMSON, Connor/QUIROZ, Diego (WIN) 6-4
2. CASASNOVAS, Marc/CAGIGAS, Guillermo (LWU) def. TINAGLI, Alberto/GOKHALE, Aditya (WIN) 6-1
3. DIAS, Gabriel/MIRALLES, Lluis (WIN) vs. FARTHING, Julian/SAKAI, Raisei (LWU) 3-4, unfinished
Match Notes:
Longwood 8-3, 1-0
WINTHROP 7-6, 2-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (5,3,2,1,4,6)
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