JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman men's tennis team was unable to send its seniors out on a high note with an 8-1 loss to Queens on Friday afternoon.
"They played their hearts out today," Carson-Newman assistant tennis coach Austin Mackay said. "JP (Joao Pedro Oliveira) and Stefano (Daza) really wanted to end their careers with a victory and it showed in both of their matches today."
The Carson-Newman men's tennis team found themselves down 2-1 to Queens after a competitive doubles play round. The No. 1 doubles pairing of Stefano Daza (Venezuela) and Rodolfo Schwarz (Brazil) were unable to find any rhythm on the offensive side of the ball. The pairing fell 8-2, to the tandem of Paolo Bompieri and Andor Vas. The duo of Daza and Schwarz finished the season with an overall record of 3-11.
The Eagles picked up a crucial point at No. 2 doubles with the tandem of Joao Pedro Oliveira (Brazil) and Gabriel Dabdab (Brazil). The duo defeated the Royals No. 2 pairing of Augustin Aran Martin and Sebastian Meum 8-6. Oliveira and Dabdab finish the season with a 12-6 overall record and a conference record of 9-1.
Kevin Mendes (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Jesus Bacete-Sanz (Spain) made up the final pairing in No. 3 doubles. The duo kept the match close, but ultimately fell 8-5 to give Queens a 2-1 lead. Bacete-Sanz and Mendes finish the season 4-3 as a pairing and saw a four match winning streak come to a close on Friday afternoon.
Marc Bantel (Germany) was the first Eagle to finish in singles play. The junior lost to Augustin Aran Martin 6-3, 6-1. Bantel finishes the regular season 6-12 and 4-7 in conference play.
Schwarz was the second Eagle to complete singles play. The junior from Brazil played one of his most complete games of the season in a three set loss to Bompieri. Schwarz had a season to forget in Mossy Creek, only winning three matches the entire season.
The No. 1 singles match was one of the most exciting matches of the afternoon. The match between Jules Athalis and Oliveira went a full three sets and included a game that went to deuce 16 time during the third set. Oliveira ended up on the wrong end of the scoreboard in his final outing in an Eagle uniform. The senior finishes this season with an overall record of 11-8 and 7-4 in conference play. The native of Brazil finishes his Carson-Newman career with 26-49 record.
The No. 4 singles match was another three set thriller featuring a Carson-Newman senior. Daza and Vas traded sets at 6-4, 6-4 to set up a winner take all third set. Daza was unable to come away with the victory, dropping the final set 6-1. Daza finishes the season with an overall record of 8-11 and a 4-7 mark in conference play. The senior from Venezuela exits his career with a 22-51 record.
The finals two singles matches for the Eagles, ended in straight set loses at both the No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions. Dabdab lost the No. 5 singles match 6-1, 7-6, while Mendes lost the No. 6 singles match 6-2, 6-3.
To stay up-to-date with Carson-Newman men's tennis during the offseason, stay tuned into cneagles.com for full coverage.
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