MASON, Ohio - A third-set tiebreaker win at No. 2 singles gave
eighth-seeded Fordham a 4-3 victory over ninth-seeded Saint Louis Friday
morning in an Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Tennis Championship first-round
match at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Mischa Koran's 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (7-3)
win over Bobby Kidera broke a 3-3
tie and sent Fordham (16-8) into a Friday afternoon quarterfinal match against
top-seeded Charlotte. Saint Louis finished the season with a 7-13 record.
The Rams won the doubles point to
take a 1-0 lead. Kuba Kowalski and J.J. Tauil blanked Kidera and Joe Flanagan 8-0 at No. 1, while Srikar
Alla and Max Peara ousted Vuk Poledica
and Yehia El Sallaly 8-3 at No. 2.
Koran and Peder Gram led Patrick Kella
and Dave Welkener 6-5 at No. 3 when
the match was halted.
Alla topped Flanagan 6-4, 6-1 at
No. 1 singles to put Fordham on top 2-0, but the Billikens pulled even by
winning at Nos. 3 and 5. Poledica disposed of Gram 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3, and Drew Feder eased past Tauil 6-2, 6-2 at
No. 5.
After Fordham gained a brief 3-2 advantage with
Peara's 6-2, 6-1 victory over El Sallaly at No. 4, Kella downed Mike Puntillo
by the same score at No. 6 to set up the decisive thriller at No. 2.
