CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The top four seeds advanced out of the quarterfinals of the 2022 Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Championship on Thursday. The tournament is being contested at the Champions Club, with the semifinals set for Friday at 2 p.m.
 
No. 1 seed ETSU will meet No. 4 seed Chattanooga and No. 2 seed Furman will face No. 3 seed Samford for the right to advance to Saturday’s title match.
 
No. 1 ETSU 4, No. 8 The Citadel 0
 
Top-seeded ETSU began its quest for a fourth straight title with a 4-0 win over No. 8 seed The Citadel. The Bucs got off to a solid start by claiming the doubles point, with Yusuf Khamis and Thiago Pernas teaming for a 6-1 win at No. 3 to get things going and Frazier Rengifo and Juan Lambisano taking the 6-2 win at No. 2 to clinch the point.
 
The Bucs then rode the bottom of their singles lineup to victory, with Pernas collecting a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 5 and Hugo Lobo earning a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 4 to put ETSU on the verge of the win.
 
Francisco Lamas provided just that at No. 6, finishing off a 6-0, 6-3 victory to put the Bucs through to the semis.
 
Despite the shutout score, The Citadel gave the Bucs fits at the top of the order, with Hayden Shoemake and Lucas Robins leading 5-3 at No. 1 doubles when the match was abandoned, and Khamis taking the first set at No. 2 singles. ETSU’s Badra, the SoCon Player of the Year, had to come from behind for a 7-6 (8-6) first-set win over Shoemake at No. 1 singles just before the match was clinched.
 
Singles competition
1. Dimitri Badra (ETSU) vs. Hayden Shoemake (CIT) 7-6 (8-6), unfinished
2. Yusuf Khamis (ETSU) vs. Zvonko Bencedic (CIT) 4-6, 6-3, unfinished
3. Frazier Rengifo (ETSU) vs. Lucas Robins (CIT) 6-3, 5-3, unfinished
4. Hugo Lobo (ETSU) def. Sebastian Kamienieck (CIT) 6-1, 6-4
5. Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Andrew Darby (CIT) 6-1, 6-1
6. Francisco Lamas (ETSU) def. Bradey Minnich (CIT) 6-0, 6-3
 
 Doubles competition
1. Dimitri Badra/Francisco Lamas (ETSU) vs. Hayden Shoemake/Lucas Robins (CIT) 3-5, unfinished
2. Frazier Rengifo/Juan Lombisano (ETSU) def. Sebastian Kamienieck/Zvonko Bencedic (CIT) 6-2
3. Yusuf Khamis/Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Everett Barkley/Bradey Minnich (CIT) 6-1
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,4,6)
 
*****
 
No. 4 Chattanooga 4, No. 5 Wofford 1
 
No. 4 seed Chattanooga clinched its first semifinals berth since 2013 with its 4-1 win over No. 5 seed Wofford on Thursday.
 
After Wofford’s Bryce Keim and Callum Rendle earned a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles, the Mocs claimed the point in dramatic fashion, with Simon Labbe and Jordan McClure teaming for a 7-5 win at No. 3 before Tomas Rodriguez and Peton Gatti teamed for a 7-6 (9-7) win over Mark Endler and Will Fullett at No. 1.
 
McClure won at No. 5 singles to make it a 2-0 spread before Wofford’s Endler earned a straight-sets win of his own at No. 4 to get the Terriers on the board.
 
Kerim Hyatt earned another two-set win at No. 2 before Rodriguez shut down any hopes of a Wofford comeback with a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 1. The two matched that were abandoned were in the third sets after the Terriers won the second sets at Nos. 3 and 6.
 
 Singles competition
1. Tomas Rodriguez (UTC) def. Ashe Ray (WOF) 6-2, 6-4
2. Kerim Hyatt (UTC) def. Callum Rendle (WOF) 7-5, 6-0
3. Simon Labbe (UTC) vs. Robert Young (WOF) 6-2, 4-6, 1-2, unfinished
4. Mark Endler (WOF) def. Peyton Gatti (UTC) 6-3, 6-4
5. Jordan McClure (UTC) def. Alex Horn (WOF) 6-2, 6-4
6. Ryan Mudre (UTC) vs. Will Fullett (WOF) 6-2, 4-6, 2-0, unfinished
 
 Doubles competition
1. Tomas Rodriguez/Peyton Gatti (UTC) def. Mark Endler/Will Fullett (WOF) 7-6 (9-7)
2. Bryce Keim/Callum Rendle (WOF) def. Kerim Hyatt/Kaisei Kuroki (UTC) 6-2
3. Simon Labbe/Jordan McClure (UTC) def. Ashe Ray/Alex Horn (WOF) 7-5
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,4,2,1)

*****
 
No. 3 Samford 4, No. 6 UNCG 3
 
In the match of the day to go the distance, No. 3 Samford survived the upset bid by No. 6 seed UNCG, 4-3. The clincher came at No. 1 singles, where Mohammed Ali Bellalouna gutted out a 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 win over Nico Grewe to send the Bulldogs into the semis for the second straight season.
 
With the match knotted at 2, all attention turned to the top half of the singles lineup. UNCG’s Alex Zuckerman put the Spartans back in front with his 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win at No. 2, but Samford’s Eladio Fabregas pulled the Bulldogs level moments later with his 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3, setting the stage for Bellalouna’s difference-making win.
 
The Nos. 4-6 singles matches all went final within about two minutes of each other, starting with Harrison Williams claiming a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 6. UNCG’s Roger Rogowski put the Spartans, who had won the doubles point, back on top with his 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 4 before J.B. Pickard finished off a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 5 to make it a 2-2 team score.
 
The Spartans, who topped Samford 5-2 earlier in the season, got the match off on the right foot by winning the top two doubles matches 6-3.
 
 Singles competition
1. M. Ali Bellalouna (SAM) def. Nico Grewe (UNCG) 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
2. Alex Zuckerman (UNCG) def. Jim Hendrikx (SAM) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Eladio Fabregas (SAM) def. Hugh Knapp (UNCG) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. Roger Rogowski (UNCG) def. Yerrassyl Murat (SAM) 6-4, 6-4
5. J.B. Pickard (SAM) def. David Flisberg (UNCG) 6-2, 6-4
6. Harrison Williams (SAM) def. Christopher Johns (UNCG) 6-3, 6-3
 
 Doubles competition
1. Nico Grewe/Roger Rogowski (UNCG) def. M. Ali Bellalouna/Jim Hendrikx (SAM) 6-3
2. Alex Zuckerman/Christopher Johns (UNCG) def. Yerrassyl Murat/Harrison Williams (SAM) 6-3
3. Eladio Fabregas/Matthew Gooch (SAM) vs. Hugh Knapp/Cooper Wyett (UNCG) 5-3, unfinished
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,4,5,2,3,1)
 
*****
 
No. 2 Furman 4, No. 7 Mercer 1
 
Second-seeded Furman topped No. 7 seed Mercer by a 4-1 count in a match that was much closer than the score indicated.
 
Elijah Poritzky’s three-set win at No. 3 clinched the match for the Paladins, as he rebounded from a 6-4 loss in the first set to win the next two by 6-2 counts.
 
After Furman won the doubles point, Drew Singerman, the Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award winner this season, cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles to make it a 2-0 contest. Furman’s Lucas Wayenburg then got the Bears on the board at No. 1, topping Ivan Mitric by a 6-2, 6-3 score.
 
SoCon Freshman of the Year Jamie Connel earned a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 2 singles to put the Paladins on the verge of the win, but the Bears did not go down without a fight.
 
Andrew Branicki was leading 4-6, 6-3, 5-2 at No. 2 when the match was abandoned, while the match at No. 4 was also in doubt after Furman’s James Roelofse won the first set Mercer’s Samual Macleod led the second 5-3 when the team result was clinched.
 
The Paladins claimed the doubles point with wins at No. 3 by Ben Cahill and Singerman and No. 2 by Roelofse and Emil Westling.
 
Furman has now appeared in the semifinals every year the tournament has been contested since 2014.
 
 Singles competition
1. Lucas Wayenburg (MER) def. Ivan Mitric (FUR) 6-2, 6-3
2. Jamie Connel (FUR) def. David Georgadze (MER) 6-3, 7-5
3. Elijah Poritzky (FUR) def. Marceau Fouilhoux (MER) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. James Roelofse (FUR) vs. Samuel Macleod (MER) 4-6, 5-3, unfinished
5. Emil Westling (FUR) vs. Andrew Branicki (MER) 6-4, 3-6, 2-5, unfinished
6. Drew Singerman (FUR) def. Danny Flynn (MER) 6-0, 6-1
 
 Doubles competition
1. Ivan Mitric/Jamie Connel (FUR) vs. Lucas Wayenburg/David Georgadze (MER) 5-5, unfinished
2. James Roelofse/Emil Westling (FUR) def. Andrew Branicki/Samuel Macleod (MER) 7-5
3. Ben Cahill/Drew Singerman (FUR) def. Danny Flynn/Marceau Fouilhoux (MER) 6-3
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (6,1,2,3)
 
*****
 
SoCon Men’s Tennis Championship
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Champions Club
Thursday, April 21
Match 1: No. 1 ETSU 4, No. 8 The Citadel 0
Match 2: No. 4 Chattanooga 4, No. 5 Wofford 1
Match 3: No. 3 Samford 4, No. 6 UNCG 3
Match 4: No. 2 Furman 4, No. 7 Mercer 1
 
Friday, April 22
Match 5: No. 1 ETSU vs. No. 4 Chattanooga, 2 p.m.
Match 6: No. 2 Furman vs. No. 3 Samford, 2 p.m.
 
Saturday, April 23
Match 7: Match 5 winner vs. Match 6 winner, 1 p.m.