ORLANDO, Fla. - The top-seeded VCU Rams defeated No. 4 Davidson, 4-0 on Saturday, to earn their eighth straight bid to the Atlantic 10 Men's Tennis Championship final, held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
VCU got off to a hot start in doubles action as Charles Bertimon and Quentin Coulaud dropped just one game to get on the board at No. 3 doubles, 6-1. Shortly after, the Rams' pair of Inigo Torre Martin and Rayane Stable then took a 6-2 victory at second doubles, 6-2, to clinch the opening point.
In singles play, the Rams picked up first-set victories on each of the six courts. Bertimon was the first to finish, winning 6-2 in his second set, to give VCU a 2-0 match lead. At top singles, Lleyton Cronje dropped just one game per set to win 6-1, 6-1 against Max Kachkarov for a 3-0 score.
With Torre Martin closing in on match point on court three, Timo Zgraggen finished his match at court six, 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the 4-0 team victory.
The Rams have appeared in every Championship final appearance since joining the league in 2013, and won A-10 titles in 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019. VCU will take on cross-town rivals, No. 3 Richmond, on Sunday at 10:00 am.
MATCH #8 - #1 VCU def. #4 DAVIDSON, 4-0
SINGLES
1. Lleyton Cronje (VCU) def. Max Kachkarov (DAV) 6-1, 6-1
2. Charles Bertimon (VCU) def. Yash Parikh (DAV) 6-0, 6-2
3. Inigo Torre Martin (VCU) vs. Sam Kavarana (DAV) 6-0, 5-3, DNF
4. Rayane Stable (VCU) vs. Camden Mazzoni (DAV) 6-3, 5-1, DNF
5. Quentin Coulaud (VCU) vs. Alejandro Solares (DAV) 6-2, 4-1, DNF
6. Timo Zgraggen (VCU) def. Brooks Green (DAV) 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 6
DOUBLES
1. Lleyton Cronje/David Cierny (VCU) vs. Max Kachkarov/Alejandro Solares (DAV) 5-4, DNF
2. Inigo Torre Martin/Rayane Stable (VCU) def. Doug Macintosh/Sam Kavarana (DAV) 6-2
3. Charles Bertimon/Quentin Coulaud (VCU) def. Camden Mazzoni/Ogden Timpson (DAV) 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2
ORLANDO, Fla. - The third-seeded Richmond Spiders won a thrilling 4-1 victory Saturday against No. 2 Dayton to earn a berth in the Atlantic 10 Championship Match, held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
The Spiders started the match with another classic doubles point winning a tiebreaker at No. 1 doubles, 7-6, (7-5) to clinch the doubles point. Daniel Kliebhan and Josh Keitelman forced a tiebreaker at 6-6 and Keitelman dialed up a winner off his serve to clinch the point at 7-5 in the tiebreaker against Connor Bruce and Max DeCurtins.
Earlier in doubles action, Dayton's Georgi Mavrodiev and Joe DeMarco defeated Matt Fernandez and Alex Wernick in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-4) against at No. 3 doubles. John Walsh and Campbell Erwin tied the doubles score with a 6-3 win against Matt DeMarco and Steven Karl at No. 2 doubles.
In singles, all six courts went to a deciding third set to settle the semifinal matchup.
Kliebhan gave Richmond a 2-0 lead after earning a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win against Steven Karl at No. 2 singles, before UD's Connor Bruce outlasted Matt Fernandez at No. 1 singles, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to cut the deficit to one.
Keitelman pushed the lead to 3-1 after a marathon match against Will Harper, 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6). In the tiebreaker, Keitelman was trailing 5-6 before winning three-straight points to win the match.
With Richmond leading 3-1, Walsh clinched the match in a third set thriller against Matt DeMarco, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 at No. 4 singles. With the victory, Richmond advanced to the A-10 finals against crosstown rival VCU.
Two matches went unfinished as Wernink was leading in the third set against Georgi Mavrodiev, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 3-1. Erwin was tied in the third set against Erik Elliasson, 6-4, 4-6, 5-5 at No. 5 singles.
The Spiders will face top-seeded VCU in the A-10 Championship final at 10 a.m.
MATCH #9 - #3 RICHMOND def. #2 DAYTON , 4-1
SINGLES
1. Connor Bruce (UD) def. Matthew Fernandez (UR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Daniel Kliebhan (UR) def. Steven Karl (UD) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
3. Georgi Mavrodiev (UD) vs. Alex Wernink (UR) 7-6(5), 3-6, 1-3, DNF
4. John Walsh (UR) def. Matt DeMarco (UD) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
5. Erik Eliasson (UD) vs. Campbell Erwin (UR) 6-4, 4-6, 5-5, DNF
6. Josh Keitelman (UR) def. Will Harper (UD) 6-1, 2-6, 7-6(6)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 6, 4
DOUBLES
1. Josh Keitelman/Daniel Kliebhan (UR) def. Connor Bruce/Max Decurtins (UD) 7-6(5)
2. John Walsh/Campbell Erwin (UR) def. Matt DeMarco/Steven Karl (UD) 6-3
3. Georgi Mavrodiev/Joe DeMarco (UD) def. Matthew Fernandez/Alex Wernink (UR) 7-6(4)
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1