CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Top-seeded ETSU and No. 3 seed Samford will meet Saturday in the Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Championship title match after both won semifinal matches Friday afternoon at the Champions Club.
 
The Bucs will play for their fourth straight title after topping No. 4 seed Chattanooga, 4-0. Samford is back in the title tilt for the first time since winning the tournament in 2013 after it logged the lone upset of this year’s championship with Friday’s 4-2 win over No. 2 seed Furman.
 
No. 1 ETSU 4, No. 4 Chattanooga 0
 
ETSU claimed the doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 and then clinched the match with straight-sets wins at Nos. 2, 5 and 6 singles to return to the title match.
 
The Bucs’ Dimitri Badra and Francisco Lamas made quick work of their opponents at No. 2 doubles, racing to a 6-0 win. ETSU clinched the point with a 6-4 win from Yusuf Khamis and Thiago Pernas at No. 3. Chattanooga’s Tomas Rodriguez and Peyton Gatti were leading 5-3 at No. 1 when play was abandoned.
 
Pernas continued to roll in singles play, wrapping up his 6-1, 6-2 match at No. 5 first. Lamas followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 6 to make it a 3-0 ETSU spread, and Khamis secured the team win with his 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 2.
 
Frazier Rengifo needed just one more game in his second set when the match was abandoned, as he led 7-5, 5-4. The two other singles matches were in a third set. ETSU’s Hugo Lobo held a slim 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 2-1 lead over Gatti at No. 4 and UTC’s Rodriguez led Badra, the SoCon Player of the Year, 2-6, 6-2, 2-1 when play was halted.
 
 Singles competition
1. Dimitri Badra (ETSU) vs. Tomas Rodriguez (UTC) 6-2, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
2. Yusuf Khamis (ETSU) def. Kerim Hyatt (UTC) 6-3, 7-5
3. Frazier Rengifo (ETSU) vs. Simon Labbe (UTC) 7-5, 5-4, unfinished
4. Hugo Lobo (ETSU) vs. Peyton Gatti (UTC) 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 2-1, unfinished
5. Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Jordan McClure (UTC) 6-1, 6-2
6. Francisco Lamas (ETSU) def. Ryan Mudre (UTC) 6-4, 6-3
 
 Doubles competition
1. Frazier Rengifo/Juan S. Zabala (ETSU) vs. Tomas Rodriguez/Peyton Gatti (UTC) 3-5, unfinished
2. Dimitri Badra/Francisco Lamas (ETSU) def. Kerim Hyatt/Kaisei Kuroki (UTC) 6-0
3. Yusuf Khamis/Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Simon Labbe/Jordan McClure (UTC) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,6,2)
 
******
 
No. 3 Samford 4, No. 2 Furman 2
 
A day after claiming a thrilling 4-3 win over UNCG in the quarterfinals, Samford provided more excitement with the only upset of the tournament so far.
 
The Bulldogs started off by winning the doubles point, with No. 3 Eladio Febregas and Matthew Gooch picking up a 6-1 win to get on the board. Furman’s top pair of Ivan Mitric and Jamie Connel earned a 6-4 win to even the score, but Samford’s Yerrassyl Murat and Harrison Williams nabbed a 6-4 win at No. 2 to give the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead.
 
Furman quickly evened the score, with SoCon Freshman of the Year Connel cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. Drew Singerman’s 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 6 put the Paladins on top 2-1, but it was all Samford from there.
 
Mohammed Ali Bellalouna topped Mitric by a 6-4, 6-2 score at No. 1 to even the team score, and Fabregas put Samford back on top with his 6-4, 6-4 win over Elijah Poritzky at No. 3.
 
Samford’s J.B. Pickard clinched the match at No. 5, as his 6-4, 6-3 affair was the last to go final.
 
The No. 4 match between Furman’s James Roelofse and Samford’s Murat was deadlocked at a game apiece in the third set when it was abandoned.
 
 Singles competition
1. M. Ali Bellalouna (SAM) def. Ivan Mitric (FUR) 6-4, 6-2
2. Jamie Connel (FUR) def. Jim Hendrikx (SAM) 6-1, 6-1
3. Eladio Fabregas (SAM) def. Elijah Poritzky (FUR) 6-4, 6-4
4. James Roelofse (FUR) vs. Yerrassyl Murat (SAM) 3-6, 6-2, 1-1, unfinished
5. J.B. Pickard (SAM) def. Emil Westling (FUR) 6-4, 6-3
6. Drew Singerman (FUR) def. Harrison Williams (SAM) 6-0, 6-3
 
 Doubles competition
1. Ivan Mitric/Jamie Connel (FUR) def. M. Ali Bellalouna/Jim Hendrikx (SAM) 6-4
2. Yerrassyl Murat/Harrison Williams (SAM) def. James Roelofse/Emil Westling (FUR) 6-4
3. Eladio Fabregas/Matthew Gooch (SAM) def. Ben Cahill/Drew Singerman (FUR) 6-1
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,6,1,3,5)
 
*****
 
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 4, No. 4 Chattanooga 0
Match 6: No. 3 Samford 4, No. 2 Furman 2
 
Saturday, April 23
Match 7: No. 1 ETSU vs. No. 3 Samford, 1 p.m.