HOUSTON, Texas—The fifth-ranked Barry Buccaneers survived a scare from #20 Francis Marion in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis National Tournament at Memorial Park on Thursday, winning 5-4 behind top player Patrick Rittenauer’s three-set win.
Rittenauer pulled out a three-set 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 win over Franklyn Emmanuel at number one singles to lift the Bucs (21-4) to victory.
In doubles, the teams split the top two flights. The Patriots’ Dilshod Sharifi and Oshada Wijemanne won 8-4 at number one over Rittenauer and Ales Svigelj, while Barry’s Emanuel Fraitzl and Jakub Fejfar pulled out an 8-4 win at number two over Dananjaya Mayadunne and Emmanuel.
At the third flight, the set stayed on serve all the way to a tie-breaker where the Patriots’ Karl Rogers and Matthew Keth pulled out a 7-5 win to beat Andrew Sharnov and Roman Werschel 9-8.
Sharnov and Werschel quickly reversed the 2-1 deficit by winning at four and five singles. Sharnov handled Bastian Czwalinna 6-1, 6-0 at four, while Werschel beat Rogers 6-2, 6-3 at five. Fejfar made it 4-2 Barry with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mayadunne at number six.
But Svigelj fell in straight sets to Wijemanne 6-3, 7-6 (4) at two and Fraitzl fell in two tiebreakers to Sharifi 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) to even the match at 4-4.
The Bucs advance to the semifinals on Friday to face the winner of the Valdosta State/Drury match at 1:00 pm Central time.
Tennis Match Results
Francis Marion vs Barry
5/15/2008 at Memorial Park
(Houston, Texas)
#5 Barry 5, #20 Francis Marion 4
Singles competition
1. Patrick Rittenauer (BUM) def. Franklyn Emmanuel (FMUM) 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
2. Oshada Wijemanne (FMUM) def. Ales Svigelj (BUM) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Dilshod Sharifi (FMUM) def. Emanuel Fraitzl (BUM) 7-6, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Andrew Sharnov (BUM) def. Bastian Czwalinna (FMUM) 6-1, 6-0
5. Roman Werschel (BUM) def. Karl Rogers (FMUM) 6-2, 6-3
6. Jakub Fejfar (BUM) def. Dananjaya Mayadunne (FMUM) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Dilshod Sharifi/Oshada Wijemanne (FMUM) def. Ales Svigelj/Patrick Rittenauer (BUM) 8-4
2. Jakub Fejfar/Emanuel Fraitzl (BUM) def. Dananjaya Mayadunne/Franklyn Emmanuel (FMUM) 8-4
3. Karl Rogers/Matthew Keth (FMUM) def. Andrew Sharnov/Roman Werschel (BUM) 9-8 (7-5)
Match Notes:
Francis Marion 19-5; National ranking #20
Barry 20-4; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,6,5,2,3,1)