ATLANTA, GA – The University of Redlands Men's Tennis team was knocked out of the NCAA Division III National Championships Saturday morning nearly pulling off a win over University of the South (Sewanee) in the Second Round coming up short 4-3.
The Bulldogs who were forced to play indoors due to inclement weather grinded for nearly six hours. 

They found themselves behind after doubles 1-0 and managed to put together a great singles comeback but it would fall short as the Tigers would hold on for the 4-3 victory with the clinch coming at No. 6 singles.

Josh Davydov (Bellevue, WA) and Vitomir Petcov (Portland, CA) were the first ones off in doubles at No. 3 falling 6-1.  But MJ Abarca (San Diego, CA) and Cooper Whittington (Lake Oswego, OR) then responded rolling 6-2 at No. 2 leveling things.  The decisive point came at the top spot from Dominic Anderson (Brisbane, Australia) and Jack Fanshawe (Brisbane, Australia) who fell 6-2, allowing Sewanee to go in front.

In singles it was a grind with five of six matches going the distance.  Anderson was the first off at No. 1 taking the opening set 7-5 before dropping the next two 6-0, 6-3 giving Sewanee their second point.  After that it was all Bulldogs storming back with three straight points at No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 swinging the momentum.  Petcov was forced to come from a set down pulling out a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 decision at No. 3 giving UR their first point.  Gustavo Marcanth (Redondo Beach, CA) at No. 2 also had to claw his way back from being a set down but needing a tiebreaker to extend the match.  He would drop the first 3-6, but came back to take the next two 7-6 (5), 6-4 leveling the match. 

Davydov like the other two singles matches in front of him also was behind early 4-6 but pulled out a 7-5, 6-3 win to put the Maroon and Grey in front 3-2.  The last two matches on came at No. 5 and No. 6.  Jack Hinkle (Bountiful, UT) was put in at No. 5 and dropped in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 giving the Tigers their third point on the morning.  The match point then came at No. 6, which was pulled out by Sewanee.  Fanshawe rolled 6-1 in a dominant first set but saw his opponent level things in the second 7-5.  In the third he would grab three breaks of serve but could not consolidate any of them as he would get broken late before falling 6-4.        

As a team the season has come to a close but beginning later this month May 23-26 the NCAA Individual National Championships begin in Claremont, CA with Dominic Anderson participating in singles.