SPARKILL, N.Y. – Returning to East Coast Conference play Friday afternoon the Queens College men's tennis team made the trip to Sparkill, N.Y. to conclude their two-match series against St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans at Riley Family Tennis Courts.
After dropping the doubles points, the Knights would rally in singles play as they earned victories at courts #1-#3 but the Spartans earned victories at courts #4 -#5 to tie the match at 3-3. Down to the #6 court between rookie
Adam Laur (Boulogne Billancourt, France) vs. Henry Ronnberg, Laur would win the first set before Ronnberg forced the third set. However, it would be Laur who would emerge victorious by winning the third set and clinching the match for Queens to the final score of 4-3.
With the victory, Queens improves to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in ECC play.
DOUBLES PLAY
The Knights fell behind early as the #1 pair of junior
Alexis Martin-Gibiard (Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France) and rookie
Adam Laur (Boulogne Billancourt, France) were defeated 6-1 by the Spartans duo of Henry Ronnberg and Seth Newman.
However, Queens would rally back to tie the doubles competition as the #3 pair of junior
Lucas Foix Sotos (Javea, Spain) and sophomore
Loup Alleno (Paris, France) defeated Ondrej Sramek and Erik Victor Tauson to the score of 6-3.
With the doubles competition tied at 1-1, the #2 pair of sophomore
Tim Andersson (Linkoping, Sweden) and junior
Viktor Ek Johansson (Stockholm, Sweden) battled Don Lominoque and Nagamitsu Kuroda in a closely-contest match. But with the Knights pair leading 5-4, the Spartans duo would rally back to earn a 7-5 victory and give the home side a 1-0 lead into singles play.
SINGLES PLAY
Behind the backfoot, the Knights began the rally with Alleno tying the match with a two-set victory at #2 singles as the sophomore defeated Lorenzo Meschini to the score of 6-3, 7-5.
But the Spartans would take a 2-1 lead as Ek Johansson fell at #4 court against Lominoque to the score of 6-0, 6-2.
Andersson at #3 court tied the match 2-2 with a two-set victory over Tauson to the score of 6-3, 7-5.
Foix Sotos would put Queens up 3-2 as he knocked off nationally-ranked #59 Newman at #1 court to the score of 6-4, 7-5.
The Spartans would rally back to the match at 3-3 as Martin-Gibiard fell #5 court to the score of 7-5, 6-4 at Sramek.
With the match tied at 3-3, all attention would turn to Laur vs. Ronnberg at #6 court. Laur would take the first set to the score of 6-3 before Ronnberg trailing 4-2 in the second set battled back to force the deciding set with a 6-4 victory.
In a thrilling match, it would only be right that the match would be decided in a final and decisive third set. Laur fell behind 1-0, and 3-2 in the third set before rallying twice as he tied the set at 2-2 and 3-3. Having come back to tie the set 3-3 it would be the rookie who would emerge victorious winning the final three points to the score of 6-3 as Queens completed the series sweep over the Spartans to the final score of 4-3.
NEXT MATCH
Head coach
Somadi Druker and the Knights open a two-match homestand beginning on Monday, Apr. 7 as they welcome Thomas Jefferson University Rams to town. The first serve is set for 1:00 p.m.
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)
