Sumter, SC – For the first time in program history, Lincoln Memorial Men's Tennis will send a pair to the ITA Division II Doubles Championship this fall, as Radu Florea and Jakub Hrášek finished as runners-up for the Men's Doubles Pool at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships this weekend.
The Railsplitters sent three to Sumter for the tournament, as Florea and Hrasek competed in both doubles play and the individual top flight, while Ciprian Florincas took on the mens singles flight B.
Where the Splitters shined was on the doubles court. Florea and Hrasek entered the top doubles pool on Friday facing opponents from Mount Olive. The Railsplitters duo got things started early with a convincing 8-4 win over the Trojans, moving LMU into the second round.
The Railsplitters would face tough competition in the next round, as the fifth-seed in the bracket from Catawba would line up across from Florea and Hrasek. After rain delayed Saturday's early matches, LMU would pull away from Catawba late, raining down points to come away with an 8-5 win and a trip into the quarterfinals of the bracket.
The quarterfinals would be the toughest competition yet for LMU, as a Saturday afternoon battle with Young Harris would be back-and-forth all day, as neither side took control. The match entered extra-sets, as the Railsplitters would find a late groove, taking the ninth and final point in a 7-0 tiebreaker, and winning the set 9-8 to earn a berth in the semifinals.
It would be another seeded-battle for LMU in the semifinals, taking on the third-overall seed in the tournament from North Georgia. The match would be a close fight, as the Splitters and the Nighthawks traded sets early. The back-and-forth match would reach the final stages with no clear winner, as extra sets would be needed to decide a winner. With the score tied 8-8, the Splitters would find the extra gear, taking the tie breaker 8-6, and earned a berth in the championship match.
The championship would be another battle vs a ranked foe, as LMU would take on the eighth seed from Lander University for the title. The match marked the first time in LMU history that a pair of Splitters qualified for the National Individual Tournament.
Florea and Hrasek battled in the final match, forcing the pair from Lander to stay on their toes against the duo, but the Splitters pair were unable to overcome Lander's attack, as the two fell in two sets 6-3, 6-2 to finish as runners-up to the Lander duo.
Florea and Hrasek will travel to Tuscaloosa on November 4th for the ITA Division II Doubles Championship, while the rest of the Splitters next hit the court on November 7th for the Lee Hidden Duals.
MENS SINGLES FLIGHT A
Round of 64
Radu Florea def. by [9] E. Remsted (Catawba): 5-7, 7-5, 10-8
Jakub Hrášek def. by G. Bourne (GCSU): 6-7 (2-7), 5-7
MENS SINGLES FLIGHT B
Round of 32
Ciprian Florincas def. by S. Sivinov (Lenoir-Rhyne): 4-6, 3-6
MENS DOUBLES
Round of 32
Radu Florea/Jakub Hrášek over S. Pearson/K. Naresh Gonzalez Gonzalez (Mount Olive): 8-4
Round of 16
Radu Florea/Jakub Hrášek over [5] L. Bergonzi/E. Remsted (Catawba): 8-5
Quarterfinals
Radu Florea/Jakub Hrášek over F. Whitrow/M. Pinto (Young Harris): 9-8 (7-0)
Semifinals
Radu Florea/Jakub Hrášek over [3] F. Rebora/M. Castellanos (North Georgia): 9-8 (8-6)
Finals
Radu Florea/Jakub Hrášek def. by [8] H. Pugh/B. Jayaprakash (Lander): 3-6, 2-6
