ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (May 13, 2009) – With a final decision of 5-1, the sixth-ranked Hawaii Pacific Sea Warriors topped the shorthanded 26th-ranked Drury Panthers to advance to the semifinal round of the 2009 NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis Tournament.
Already down 3-0 at the start of the match due to a thin roster, Drury (19-8) took the first slot in doubles as the No. 19 tandem of Nahom Serekeberhan and Ivan Marevic bested the No. 28 duo of Daniel Luedi and Nikola Petrov in a hard fought 8-6 battle.
The Sea Warriors (16-4) earned an 8-3 final decision in the second doubles flight with Sebastian Bader and Hendrik Bode defeating Antonio Santos and Alex Kacamakisz to pull ahead 4-1, leaving Hawaii Pacific with just one win to lock the victory.
No. 28 Petrov made quick work in the first slot as he ousted No. 41 Kacamakisz 6-4, 6-2 to end the Panthers’ amazing 2009 campaign and allow Hawaii Pacific to advance to semifinal play.
Hawaii Pacific returns to the court action Friday at 9:00 a.m. when they take on No. 1 Armstrong Atlantic in day three of the NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis Tournament at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.