Thursday, April 14, 2011

DeLAND, Fla. - Stetson advanced to the Atlantic Sun Men's Tennis Championship semifinal round after eliminating Mercer, 4-2, Thursday from the Mandy Stoll Tennis Center.

The Hatters (19-9) took the doubles point after an 8-2 win by the pairs of Njal Stene/Christopher Swanteson and an 8-3 victory for the team of Maksim Levanovich/Didrik Berg. Levanovich and Steine picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Senior Alexander Hackett notched the clinching point, defeating Mercer’s Guilherme Frias in straight sets.

Mercer (9-12) battled back after falling behind 1-0, as junior David Barton defeated freshman Hans Riesing 6-0, 6-3 at No. 6 singles to even the match at one apiece.

The Hatters pushed the lead out to 3-1 with straight set wins Levanovich and Stene. After Mercer senior Evandro Rosindo pulled out a three-set victory at No. 4, Hackett earned a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 victory against freshman Guilherm Frias for the fourth Hatter point.

Stetson advances to play the regular season co-champion and top-seeded UNF Ospreys tomorrow afternoon in semifinal action. Play is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts five of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.