Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida men's tennis team glided through the heavy winds and its Atlantic Sun Conference matchup against Mercer Saturday at the UNF Tennis Complex, using the doubles point and the first three singles results to seal a 5-2 victory.
“The guys battled the tough conditions today and picked up a good win,” UNF head coach Igal Buberman said. “Playing mid-week matches during spring break was a productive sacrifice by the team, and it helped us progress while we won three of four this week.”
Senior Federico Levi returned the first singles result – a 6-2, 6-3 decision against Justin Wimpee at the No. 1 position – to set things in motion of the Ospreys (8-5, 3-2 A-Sun) in individual action. Junior Kurt Gattiker followed with a straight-set win in the sixth slot to give UNF three points to the Bears' (5-8, 0-4) one.
Playing in his highest placement of the season, sophomore Graham Edgar finished with a 6-1, 6-4 win to secure the match at No. 4. Edgar boasts a 13-1 record in singles play this season and a team-best five-match winning streak.
With the match in hand, the Ospreys battled through three-set matches in the three remaining positions. Mercer gathered its two points of the match in the second position, where Fernando Armendaris came back from a first-set loss to defeat junior Ronnie Sang, and the third position, where Dane Marton edged freshman Marcos Chiaretti.
UNF tallied its sixth doubles point of the year, sweeping for the second time, and freshman Marc Misanovic' won in his first time playing the No. 5 position.
“All of the hard work the guys put forth in the fall and the early spring is paying off as we approach the end of the season,” Buberman said. “The team is fit and ready to finish on a good note.”
The Ospreys begin their final string of five matches with a non-conference home contest against Elon Wednesday before leaving Jacksonville for the final time of the season next weekend, traveling to No. 63 East Tennessee State and USC Upstate in A-Sun action.
“Elon, which was recently ranked, will be a great test match for us,” Buberman said. “ETSU is a ranked team, and our conference weekend will be very challenging.”
