Thursday, March 6, 2008

 

NO. 25 FRANCIS MARION MEN BEAT NO. 35 TUSCULUM 7-2

 

                FLORENCE, S.C. --- The No. 25 Francis Marion men’s tennis team handed No. 35 Tusculum its first loss of the season as the Patriots prevailed 7-2.  FMU improves to 9-1, while the Pioneers drop to 5-1 on the season.

 

                FMU won the top two doubles matches as the No. 1 pairing of Franklyn Emmanuel and Oshada Wijemanne (ranked No. 11 in NCAA II), defeated TC’s Sergio Espinosa and Carlos Garcia 8-1.  Tusculum’s Nicolas Bigler and Hunter Beal won at the No. 3 flight, 8-4 over Karl Rogers and James Machlachlan.

                              

                Emmanuel, who is also ranked the No. 20 singles player in the country, posted a 6-3, 6-2 win against Bigler at No. 1 singles.  Dilshod Sharifi knocked off Garcia 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3 singles, halting Garcia’s school-record 22-game winning streak.

 

                TC’s Henrique Rodrigues recorded a singles victory at the No. 4 flight over Bastian Czwalinna.

 

                The Pioneers return to action Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. when TC takes on West Virginia Wesleyan in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

 

- TC –

 

No. 25 Francis Marion 7, No. 35 Tusculum 2

Singles

 

1 - #20 Franklin Emmanuel (FMU) def. Nicolas Bigler

6-3, 6-2

2 – Oshada Wijemanne (FMU) def. Sergio Espinosa

7-6 (7-1), 6-4

3 – Dilshod Sharifi (FMU) def. Carlos Garcia

6-1, 6-3

4 – Henrique Rodrigues (TC) def. Bastian Czwalinna

3-2 (won by default)

5 – Karl Rogers (FMU) def. Leo Guaycurus

6-1, 6-4

6 – Dananjaya Mayadunne (FMU) def. Hunter Beal

6-1, 6-0

Doubles

 

1 - #11 Emmanuel/Wijemanne (FMU) def. Espinosa/Garcia

8-1

2 – Sharifi/Mayadunne (FMU) def. Rodrigues/Guaycurus

8-4

3 – Bigler/Beal (TC) def. Rogers/James Machlachlan

8-4