COLUMBUS, Ga. – No. 3 (ITA Collegiate Division II rankings) Flagler College downed No. 8 Columbus State University 5-2 in a Peach Belt Conference men's tennis match Saturday afternoon at the John W. Walden Tennis Center.

Flagler won its eighth match in a row and improved to 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the Peach Belt. The win by the Saints was the first at Columbus since joining the conference in 2010. Columbus State dropped to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Saints host No. 14 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University this Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the Pollard Tennis Center.

No. 38-ranked Simon Malis and Philipp Lemken won their seventh match in a row with a 7-5 victory over No. 44 Andreas Sandrone and Felix Steen, but that was the lone doubles win for Flagler.

The Saints ran off five consecutive wins in singles to take the match. Ilian Borlee rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4 singles to cut the Cougar lead to 2-1. No. 7 Baptiste Mercier handed No. 57 Thomas Cardona a 7-6(6) and 6-1 loss at No. 2. No. 74 Simon Malis put the Saints ahead for good with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory. Lemken, ranked No. 65, defeated Benedek Szombathelyi 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the match. No. 10-ranked Jacopo Denitto ended the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Justin Welz.

#3 Flagler 5, #8 Columbus State 2
3/30/24 at Columbus, Ga. (John W. Walden Tennis Center)


Singles competition
1. #10 Jacopo Denitto (FLG) def. Justin Welz (CSU-M24) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. #7 Baptiste Mercier (FLG) def. #57 Thomas Cardona (CSU-M24) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
3. #74 Simon Malis (FLG) def. Camilo Cano (CSU-M24) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
4. Ilian Borlee (FLG) def. Felix Steen (CSU-M24) 6-2, 6-3
5. #65 Philipp Lemken (FLG) def. Benedek Szombathelyi (CSU-M24) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
6. Andreas Sandrone (CSU-M24) def. Makary Adamek (FLG) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. #38 Simon Malis/Philipp Lemken (FLG) def. #44 Andreas Sandrone/Felix Steen (CSU-M24) 7-5
2. #22 Camilo Cano/Justin Welz (CSU-M24) def. #31 Ilian Borlee/Baptiste Mercier (FLG) 7-5
3. Thomas Cardona/Elias Peter (CSU-M24) def. Max Berner/Jacopo Denitto (FLG) 6-1

Match Notes
Flagler 12-2, 2-0 PBC; National ranking #3
Columbus State 9-5, 1-1 PBC; National ranking #8
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,4,2,3,5,1)
 
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