Agate

ELON, N.C. – The top-seeded Elon University men’s tennis team advanced to the 2013 Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Championship title match following a 4-1 decision against fifth-seeded Chattanooga on Saturday, April 20, at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
 
Elon (17-7) will face second-seeded Samford on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. with the winner earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
“I’m proud of the way we battled today against a tough Chattanooga team,” said Elon head coach Michael Leonard. “Robert [Lindgren] really stepped up to win a big point and Juan [Madrid] came through in the clutch to seal the win for us. We look forward to tomorrow’s match.”
 
Leading 3-1 and the match win within reach, Juan Madrid clinched the victory for the Phoenix with a hard-fought three-set win at No. 6. Madrid topped UTC’s Jackson Tresnan, 6-3, in the opening set, but fell 6-0 in the second to force a third and final set. Madrid came through in the clutch for the maroon and gold, claiming a 6-2 win to seal it and help Elon earn a trip to the tournament title match.
 
The Phoenix won two out of three doubles matches to take an early 1-0 lead. Cameron Silverman and Stefan Fortmann inched Elon closer to the doubles point by defeating UTC’s Roberto Vieira and Ankit Chopra, 8-5. Brian Kowalski and Robert Lindgren clinched the point at No. 2, defeating UTC’s Chris Smith and John Peacey, 8-6.
 
Jordan Kaufman gave Elon a 2-0 lead following a win at No. 4, topping Chattanooga’s Smith, 6-2, 6-4.
 
Lindgren won a thriller at No. 3 to inch the Phoenix closer to clinching the match after topping Chopra in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). Lindgren trailed early on in the tiebreaker, but came back strong to earn the 8-6 win to give the remaining Phoenix players on the court momentum.
 
Following a win by UTC at No. 2, Madrid rallied from a second set defeat to earn the win for the Phoenix.