MOBILE, Ala. – The Lewis-Clark State College men’s tennis team lost a pair of three-set singles matches and that proved to be the different as Berry College of Georgia defeated the Warriors 6-3 in the opening round of the NAIA National Championships on Tuesday.
The Warrior men, who are ranked No. 20 in the NAIA, finish the season at 9-12 overall after playing a schedule full of NCAA schools. Berry, ranked No. 15, improves to 7-5 overall and advances to Wednesday’s second-round where it will face No. 1-ranked and defending champion Auburn Montgomery.
Cedric Dufour and Jonathan Berhane picked up LCSC’s only doubles win with an 8-6 victory over Berry’s Stan Atema and Daniel Mician. However, the two Warrior seniors both lost tough matches in singles play. Dufour fell to Atema 7-6, 2-6, 6-4; while Berhane won the first set from Marcelo Lebrao 7-5, before falling in the final two sets 6-4 and 6-2.
LCSC’s two singles victories came from freshman Zhia Hwa Chong, who beat Mician 6-2, 6-4; and Arslan Mermut, who beat Chris Clark in three sets, 6-0, 1-6, 7-6.
The Warrior men, who had four seniors on the squad, were making their 10th straight appearance at the national tournament and 19th overall.
Berry (Ga.) def. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 6-3
Doubles: #1 – Cedric Dufour/Jonathan Berhane (LCS) def. Stan Atema/Daniel Mician (BC) 8-6; #2 – Marcelo Lebrao/Adam Clifton (BC) def. Kevin Lee/Zhia Hwa Chong (LCS) 8-4; #3 – Marcelo Peterlini/Chris Clark (BC) def. Oliver Sindayigaya/Sebastian Kuhn (LCS) 8-5
Singles: #1 – Atema (BC) def. Dufour (LCS) 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-4; #2 – Lebrao (BC) def. Berhane (LCS) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; #3 – Peterlini (BC) def. Lee (LCS) 6-3, 6-4; #4 – Chong (LCS) def. Mician (BC) 6-2, 6-4; #5 – Clifton (BC) def. Sindayigaya (LCS) 6-4, 6-1; #6 – Arslan Mermut (LCS) def. Clark (BC) 6-0, 1-6, 7-6 (2).
