FLORENCE, S.C. (Feb. 4) – After advancing to the finals of the City of Florence Invitational on Saturday, the Trojans finished runner-up at the season-opening event after a 4-0 win in the semifinals versus Lenoir-Rhyne before falling to No. 13 nationally ranked Lander in the championship match.
With the split, the University of Mount Olive men's tennis program moves to 2-2 this season after playing three dual matches over the previous two days. UMO is scheduled for a busy February with six more dual matches set throughout the month.
Against Lenoir-Rhyne, the Trojans secured the match in singles play with four wins on Saturday. In the second position, freshman
Daniel Hammond won in straight sets with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Vadym Rogynskyi before senior
Israel Rodriguez Rojas posted a 6-2, 6-0 win against Mattias Selde in the fourth slot. In fifth singles, freshman
Bram Poel claimed a 6-0, 6-1 victory versus Patrik Alvestrand. Freshman
Kabir Chhabria sealed the win in the sixth position behind a 6-2, 6-3 win over Joel Hemmings, as the Trojans won by a 4-0 margin to advance to the finals.
Against No. 13 Lander, the Bearcats clinched the doubles point in the championship dual match on Saturday. Junior
Guilherme Zotin de Oliveira and Hammond suffered a 6-0 loss to Markus Sorensen and Nick Beamish at first doubles. Juniors
Adam Ibrahim and
Diego Ortega Cadahia fell by a 6-2 margin in the second slot against No. 4 Southeast regionally ranked doubles team Hugo Regner and Mathew De Groot.
Lander captured the invitational title with four wins in the singles session. Oliveira fell in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 versus individually nationally ranked Hugo Regner. In the second singles, Hammond dropped a 6-0, 6-3 decision to No. 10 regionally ranked Ambrosie Marchand before Rodriguez Rojas was dealt a 6-1, 6-2 defeat in the fourth slot against Alexandre Crepy. Lander registered the victory after junior
Khushal Mehta suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Mouad Naoui in the fifth position.
Mount Olive returns to the court on Saturday, Feb. 11, when it travels for a rematch versus Lenoir-Rhyne, starting at 2 p.m.
