ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — It isn't how you start, but how you finish.
The seventh-seeded Flagler College men's tennis team turned the momentum around after doubles, working through two weather delays to take the 4-1 win over 10th-seeded University of Charleston (W. Va.) for a spot in the Elite Eight of the Division II National Championships Wednesday at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
The Saints' historic season continues as they took the program's first Sweet Sixteen appearance and now will play in their first Elite Eight at noon tomorrow (Thursday) versus Hawai'i Pacific University.
Doubles play came down to the wire, with the No. 19 Golden Eagles (22-3) and the sixth-ranked Saints (19-5) splitting first and third doubles. At first doubles, No. 17
Oscar Del Granado and
Philipp Lemken faced off against the Golden Eagles' duo of No. 28 Marshall Dagostine and John Giesberts. The match opened with four consecutive breaks then each team held serve. Following a pair of holds, the Saints broke back to take a 5-4 lead and proceeded to win 6-4 to even the doubles score with Charleston winning third doubles, 6-1.
With the third and first doubles teams watching from their respective courts, all eyes shifted to
Nikita Tatyanin and
Jagger Ong-Patzwald facing off against Daniel Llorente and Krish Patel. The Golden Eagles broke at 5-5, and then held serve to give them a 7-5 win to secure the doubles point.
Head coach
Jonas Piibor's squad came out firing in singles play following a 45-minute delay due to inclement weather in the area. No. 37 Tatyanin picked his opponent a part on court two to even the match score at 1-1, defeating Giesberts 6-0, 6-1.
The Saints grabbed the lead at 2-1 following a win a third singles with
Petr Cervinka cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Lemken put the Saints within one match of the Elite Eight spot after grinding out a 6-4, 7-6 (1) victory at fourth singles.
The Golden Eagles found new life down 3-1, and started to make comebacks in all remaining matches.
Jacopo Denitto stopped the Golden Eagles' momentum with his clinch on court five, 6-3 and 7-5, to send the Saints to the program's first ever Elite Eight appearance.
Court one featured a battle between No. 40 Del Granado and No. 62 Llorente with Del Granado winning set one, 6-2, and was up 5-2 in the second, but Llorente battled back to even set two at 5-5 before the match was called. Ong-Patzwald was down 7-5 and 4-3 at sixth singles at the time.
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