MERCER, Ga. - Day one of the Mercer Gridiron Classic, hosted by Division I institute Mercer University, kicked off this afternoon for the Flagler College men's tennis team. Four Saints in Filip Kana, Oliver Hradilek, Simon Malis and Kenneth Rabinad-Vila all advanced to the quarterfinal round in singles play while the duos of Kana/Rabinad and Malis/Artiom Dorofeev both advanced to the semifinal round of play.

THE SERVE
The Saints take on their second tournament of the fall season. The main attendance for the Gridiron Classic consists of DI schools. Notably, Sun Belt Conference powerhouses, Troy University and Georgia Southern University, as well as Conference USA representative Kennesaw State University are in attendance. Overall, 11 different teams across DI and DII made the trip to Mercer. 

Opening the day, singles saw four Saints take their first matches, all against DI opponents. Competing in the A1 bracket, Malis faced Kennesaw State representative Xavier Ferrer whom he defeated 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4). Flight B1 featured Kana Rabinad-Vila and Hradilek. Kana opened his place with a 6-3 and 6-3 victory over Georgia Southern University's Davis Taylor. Rabinad-Vila was one of two Saints to advance to the semifinal round. Opening with Georgia College & State University's Chase Martin, the new Saint won 6-4 and 6-0. In the following round, Rabinad-Vila defeated Alexander Achour of Middle Georgia State University, 1-6, 6-4 and 6-2. A rematch dating back to the NCAA DII National Championship, Hradilek met Cooper Dillon in the first round where the sophomore emerged victorious, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Following that up, Hradilek defeated Troy's Til Ole Li Zimmermann 7-6 (7-2) and 6-1.

Despite first round losses, Aly El Rafie bounced back in his second match of the B1 (West) bracket. A 6-4 and 6-4 match put together by the senior sent him to the semifinal round over Mercer's Esteban Davila Gasser.

Doubles play has two Saints posed for a semifinal round bout. The tandem of Kana and Rabinad-Vila opened play with a 6-2 victory over Kennesaw's Ben Hudson and Dominic Ducariu. In the second round, the pair defeated Georgia States' Arthur Attrill and Alvaro Perez, 6-1. Malis and Dorofeev faced Alex Han and Landon Ecarma of Furman University whom they defeated 6-4. Facing familiar faces in round two, the pair defeated University of North Georgia's Anton Krondell and Alex Despoja, 6-3.

KEY NOTES & STATS

• In Flight A of doubles, both Saints pairs are the only DII representatives still in play.
• Flagler is one of two institutes to have two teams still in doubles play.
• Based on the ITF World Tennis Number, Kenneth Rabinad-Vila(10.84) upset both his opponents, Martin(10.65) and Achour(10.84) to reach the semifinal round of the B1 bracket.
• Kenneth Rabinad-Vila and Oliver Hradilek will play each other in the semifinal round tomorrow morning.
• Simon Malis is the only Saint in the A bracket to advance to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.
• Oliver Hradilek is now 1-1 against Cooper Dillon after meeting him for the first time at the NCAA DII National Championship.

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