Francis Marion Knocks Out Mars Hill In NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The No. 17-ranked Francis Marion men's tennis squad advanced to the second round of the 2009 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Southeast Regional with a 5-1 win over Mars Hill on Thursday afternoon at the AASU Tennis Complex in Savannah.

The Patriots (16-5), who advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals last season, picked up the victory over the Lions (13-6) in only the second meeting between the two schools in program history.

Francis Marion won two of three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead. Dirk Bair and Karl Rogers notched a quick 8-3 win over Taylan Batuk and Alessandro du Besse (Rome, Italy) at No. 3 doubles, then the sixth-ranked duo of Dilshod Sharifi and Oshada Wijemanne collected an 8-2 win over Andre Schafer (Forotaleza, Brazil) and Stevan Stankovic (Ivan Goran Kovacic Hercegnovi MNE, Serbia ) at No. 1 doubles. Mars Hill salvaged a point at No. 2 doubles with Tyrone La Reservee (Durbin, South Africa) and Koeche Smith's (Nassau, Bahamas) 8-4 win over Jack Bishop and Matthew Keth.

The Patriots then clinched the match with three straight-set wins in singles. Wijemanne, ranked No. 10 in the nation in singles, defeated du Besse, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 1 singles. Bastian Cwalinna delivered a 6-3, 6-1 win over Schafer at No. 4 singles, then Bair clinched the match with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) win over Stankovic at No. 6 singles.

Francis Marion advances to face No. 9-ranked USC Aiken in a second-round match on Friday, May 8, at 2:00 p.m.

#17 Francis Marion University 5, Mars Hill 1
May 7, 2009 at Savannah, Ga. (AASU Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #10 Oshada Wijemanne (FMU) def. Alessandro du Besse (MHC) 6-1, 6-1
2. #22 Dilshod Sharifi (FMU) vs. Koeche Smith (MHC) 6-1, 4-3, unfinished
3. Karl Rogers (FMU) vs. Ugras Taylan Batuk (MHC) 7-5, 4-1, unfinished
4. Bastian Czwalinna (FMU) def. Andre Schafer (MHC) 6-3, 6-1
5. Jack Bishop (FMU) vs. Tyrone La Reservee (MHC) 4-6, 3-2, unfinished
6. Dirk Bair (FMU) def. Stevan Stankovic (MHC) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)

Doubles competition
1. #6 Dilshod Sharifi/Oshada Wijemanne (FMU) def. Andre Schafer/Stevan Stankovic (MHC) 8-2
2. Tyrone La Reservee/Koeche Smith (MHC) def. Jack Bishop/Matthew Keth (FMU) 8-4
3. Dirk Bair/Karl Rogers (FMU) def. Ugras Taylan Batuk/Alessandro du Besse (MHC) 8-3