Men's Tennis Picks Up Pivotal NE-10 Win, 5-4, vs. Regionally Ranked Bentley Friday
Links: Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Despite facing a 2-1 deficit entering the singles portion of the match, the Merrimack College men's tennis team defeated the visiting Bentley Falcons, 5-4, after winning four of six singles contests on Friday from North Andover High School.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 5, Bentley 4
Records: Merrimack (7-7, 6-0 NE-10) | Bentley (11-6, 4-3 NE-10)
Location: NA High School | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
Bentley entered the game as one of three Northeast-10 teams regionally ranked, coming in at No. 6 in the East.
At second doubles, senior captain Miguel Belfort (Caracas, Venezuela) and sophomore Frank Vega (Lima, Peru) picked up the Warriors' lone doubles win, 8-3. Sophomore Mikhail Belov (Krasnoarmeyskoy, Russia) and redshirt-freshman Laurence Akwei (Johannesburg, South Africa) lost at No. 1 by two games. Junior Nick Majewski (Brewster, Mass.) and freshman Tyler Clontz (Naples, Fla.) lost at third doubles, 8-5.
The Merrimack comeback was highlighted by four straight-set singles wins. Belov took down Brendan McCarthy at the top flight, 7-5 and 6-3. Vega (6-1, 6-1) combined to lose only two games in his victory at No. 3. Belfort blanked his opponent at fourth singles in the first set, before taking a 6-2 second set. Akwei continued his undefeated run through NE-10 singles with a two-set win at No. 5.
Majewski won his first set at No. 2 before losing the final two frames. Freshman Alex Slobin (Fairfield, Conn.) competed at sixth singles, losing in two sets.
Results
Doubles
1. Brendan McCarthy / George Samander (BEN) def. Mikhail Belov / Laurence Akwei (MER) 8-6
2. Miguel Belfort / Frank Vega (MER) def. Dylan Granat / Chase Rosa (BEN) 8-3
3. Brett Gilman / Michael Fuca (BEN) def. Nick Majewski / Tyler Clontz (MER) 8-5
Singles
1. Mikhail Belov (MER) def. Brendan McCarthy (BEN) 7-5, 6-3
2. George Samander (BEN) def. Nick Majewski (MER) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
3. Frank Vega (MER) def. Dylan Granat (BEN) 6-1, 6-1
4. Miguel Belfort (MER) def. Michael Fuca (BEN) 6-0, 6-2
5. Laurence Akwei (MER) def. Chase Rosa (BEN) 6-3, 6-4
6. Daniel Camacho (BEN) def. Alex Slobin (MER) 6-0, 6-2
Up Next
The Warriors host Franklin Pierce on Tuesday afternoon from North Andover High School, beginning at 3 p.m.
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