PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Looking to conclude their two-match road trip on a high note the Queens College men's tennis team matched up against Thomas Jefferson University Rams in a non-conference match Saturday afternoon at Abraham J. Salaman '58 Tennis Courts.
However the Knights would drop the doubles contest before both sides split the singles action as the Rams defeated Queens to earn a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the Knights move to 4-4 overall and drop their first match against Jefferson in program history.
Doubles
The Rams opened doubles play with a victory at #3 as the pair of junior
Cameron Henricy (Las Palmas, Spain) and rookie
Noah Gauthier (La Colle-sur-Loup, France) fell to Jules Thibault and A. Mateos Melenchon to the score of 6-4.
The home side would take the doubles points as the Rams pair of Hannibal Borg and E. Soto Ballester defeated the Knights #1 pair of senior doubles pair of
Roni Rikkonen (Tampere, Finland) and
Omar El Shehawey (Cairo, Egypt) to the final score of 6-4.
Queens would earn a doubles victory at #2 as the pair of sophomore
Lucas Foix Sotos (Javea, Spain) and rookie
Tim Andersson (Linkoping, Sweden) defeated Mario Antonio and Johary Rabetrano to the score of 7-5.
Singles
In singles play, Queens would fall behind 2-0 as El Shehawey fell to Antonio to the score of 6-1, 6-1 at #4 singles.
But the Knights would fight back as senior
Francisco Gonzalez (La Plata, Argentina) defeated Rabetrano to the score of 6-3, 6-2 at #6 singles to cut their deficit down to 2-1.
However, the Rams would go up 3-1 as Rikkonen fell at #1 singles as Borg defeated the senior to the final score of 6-3, 6-4.
Henricy would bring the Knights within 3-2 following a victory at #2 singles as he earned a three-set victory over Thibault to the score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
But It would be the Rams who would earn the victory as rookie Andersson fell at #3 singles in a heartbreaking three-set loss to the score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-7
(5-7) against Ballester.
Fiox Sotos would close out the singles action to make the scoreline at 4-3 as he earned a three-set comeback victory to the score of 6-7
(5-7), 6-3, 6-3 over Melenchon.
Next Serve
The Knights will have a day break in between as they get set to welcome the Eagles of Post University to town on Monday (Apr. 1) afternoon in a non-conference match.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), Instagram (qcknightsny), qcmtennis (@qcmtennis)
