No. 8 Firebirds Knock off No. 3 Chestnut Hill, 5-4
WASHINGTON, DC – The University of the District of Columbia men's tennis team upset Chestnut Hill 5-4 on Sunday afternoon in a battle of two regionally ranked opponents.
The Firebirds (6-4), ranked No. 8 in the ITA East Region poll, won four of the final five singles matches, including the last two to come back from a 2-1 deficit after doubles play. Chestnut Hill (6-6), ranked No. 3 in the poll, won two of the three doubles matches and the No. 3 and 6 singles matches in the loss.
The match started with doubles play as CHC's Jonathan Ducretot and Henry Boyle defeated UDC's Ander Murillo and Diego Pinto, 8-3 for the first point of the match. The Firebirds did manage a spectacular, 9-8(6) victory at No. 1 doubles as the No. 7 ranked pair in the East Region - Simon Andersson and freshman Alexis Baguelin held off No. 9 Lucas Bocaletto and Pedro Regalin. The Griffins then picked up the final doubles win at No. 2, 8-6.
Trailing CHC 2-1 heading into singles play, UDC's Baguelin lost a hard-fought, 7-6(3), 6-3 No. 3 match vs. Steven Say, as the Firebirds fell behind in the match, 3-1. Bozic began the UDC comeback with an impressive, 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles over the No. 18 ranked singles player in the region, Pedro Oranges de Figueredo. Andersson then followed with a clutch, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 win at No. 1 to tie the score, 3-3.
Mike Humes pulled the Griffins within a point of a match victory as he defeated Marco Feligioni, 6-3, 6-0 at No. 6, but Pinto and Murillo both came through with victories at No. 4 and 5, respectively to complete the comeback win. Pinto defeated Regalin, 6-4, 6-3 and Murillo bested Ducretot, 6-3, 6-3.
Next, UDC will host ECC foe Dowling on Friday, April 3rd at 2 p.m.