Men's Tennis Southern Conference

No. 24 Alabama Holds Off Furman Men's Tennis, 4-3 (Feb. 25)

TUSCALOOSA, AL -- The University of Alabama men's tennis team, ranked No. 24 in the country, got a scare from 67th-ranked Furman (1-7) as the Crimson Tide withstood a late charge to defeat the Paladins 4-3 in Tuscaloosa on Monday.

"I knew they (Furman) were great fighters," said Alabama head coach Adam Steinberg. "They competed really hard."

Alabama started the day by winning at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to take the doubles point. At No. 3 doubles, Nick Beuque and Chris McRae beat Furman's Patrick Gaughan and Allen Simmons, 8-3, while Max Belski and Brad Friedman defeated Paladins Andrew Rogers and Peter Netzler 8-5 at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point.

Alabama's William Boyles and Chris Gostek dropped their No. 1 doubles match to 15th-ranked John Chesworth and James Cameron, 8-5.

In singles play, McRae gave the Tide a 2-0 lead by winning his No. 4 singles match 6-2, 6-4 against Furman's Ryan McCarthy. Furman then pushed the match score to 2-1 when Simmons defeated Alabama's Michael Ray Pallares at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Alabama increased its lead to 3-1 when Beuque beat Rogers 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 at No. 3 singles, but Furman bounced back when Cameron upset Alabama's Gostek, ranked 109th, at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Christian Brodersen clinched the match for the Tide when he notched a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 5 singles over Gaughan.

Furman's Chesworth defeated his second highly ranked opponent in as many days when he beat Alabama's No. 64 ranked Belski 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) at No. 1 singles. On Sunday, Chesworth upset Georgia's Brandon Wagner, the sixth-ranked player in the nation, in straight sets during Furman's 6-1 loss to the No. 3 Bulldogs.

Furman will next travel to Dallas, Texas to face No. 20 Southern Methodist on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.