Men's Tennis | 4/1/2017 10:17:00 PM

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The Mercyhurst men's tennis team claimed a 6-3 victory over non-conference opponent Universitiy of Charleston on Saturday.
 
The Lakers took an early 2-1 lead after doubles action and then won 4 of 6 singles matches.
 
At No. 1 doubles, Nenad Terzic and Cormac McCooey earned their fifth straight doubles victory -- and 11th of 12 -- against Charleston's tough combo of Alec Foote and Dom Centofanti. Terzic and McCooey, the top-ranked team in the Atlantic Region, earned a gritty 9-7 win.

Conor McCooey and Joaquin Aguilera clutched the third doubles point with a confident 8-4 victory against Jason Prince and Jamie Gibson.

In singles action, four matches went to either a third set or tiebreaker. Arseniy Sklyarov clinched the match at No. 6 singles with a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5, comeback win agaianst Elliot Le Petit. Sklyarov trailed 5-2 in the second set before earning five straight points; he repeated the feat after falling behind 5-2 in the third, as well.

Sebastian Pardo, Conor McCooey and Cormac McCooey also won singles matches for the Lakers.

With Mercyhurst ahead 3-2, a win from Pardo helped MU lengthen the advantage. Pardo willed himself past Centofanti, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, at fourth singles.

In a matchup of regionally-ranked players, Cormac McCooey (No. 15 Atlantic) eased past Alek Gracin (No. 13 Atlantic), 6-1, 6-0, at third singles.

Conor McCooey won an extended battle against Gibson, 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6) at fifth singles.

The No. 1 singles match featured another pair of regionally-ranked opponents. Charleston's Alec Foote (No. 2 Atlantic), who is 44th in NCAA Division II, defeated Mercyhurst's Nenad Terzic, 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5).

Singles competition

1. Alec Foote (CHAR-M) def. Nenad Terzic (MER-M) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5)

2. Ben Lakeman (CHAR-M) def. Joaquin Aguilera (MER-M) 6-3, 6-0

3. Cormac McCooey (MER-M) def. Alek Gracin (CHAR-M) 6-1, 6-0

4. Sebastian Pardo (MER-M) def. Dom Centofanti (CHAR-M) 6-3 (7-5), 6-1

5. Conor McCooey (MER-M) def. Jamie Gibson (CHAR-M) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6)

6. Arseniy Sklyarov (MER-M) def. Elliot Le Petit (CHAR-M) 1-6, 7-5, 7-5

Doubles competition

1. Cormac McCooey/Nenad Terzic (MER-M) def. Alec Foote/Dom Centofanti (CHAR-M) 9-7

2. Alek Gracin/Ben Lakeman (CHAR-M) def. Sebastian Pardo/Arseniy Sklyarov (MER-M) 9-7

3. Joaquin Aguilera/Conor McCooey (MER-M) def. Jason Prince/Jamie Gibson (CHAR-M) 8-4

Match Notes

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,2,4,6,1,5)