Men's Tennis Ends Spring Break Trip on a High Note

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. – The St. Mary's Men's Tennis team did a great job of refocusing after dropping the doubles point to defeat Palm Beach Atlantic on Friday, 5-2.
 
The Rattlers wrapped up the Spring Break trip with a 3-1 record, losing only to undefeated St. Thomas Aquinas over the week and are now 9-5 on the season.
 
"The guys finished on a high note," said Director of Tennis Bill Macom. "They beat a very tough team and improved with every match."
 
On Friday the tandem of Sebastian Azcui (La Paz, Bolivia) and Alvaro Soler (Alicante, Spain), playing together for the first time in their careers, shut out the Sailfish team at #3 doubles but PBA won the top two ladder spots for the first point.
 
Junior Oskar Irdoja (Tallinn, Estonia) knotted the team score at 1-1 after winning 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3 singles to give him his sixth consecutive win and move him to 8-2 on the year.
 
Soler carried his momentum over from doubles play, winning 6-4, 7-5 at #1 singles for the second point of the day for the Gold & Blue.
 
Freshman Aaron Ben Anton (Remseck, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), playing in just the second singles match of his career gave the Rattlers the 3-1 edge with his 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 win at No. 4.
 
Daniel Matheu Baldor (Madrid, Spain) pulled out a thrilling come-from-behind victory at #2 singles, winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) to clinch the match for the Rattlers.
 
Jake Faryniarz (San Antonio) was a late addition to the lineup at #5 and won 10-8 in the third-set tiebreaker after winning the first set in a tiebreak and dropping one break of serve in the second for the 6-4 score.
 
St. Mary's returns to Texas and Lone Star Conference play next Friday at UT Tyler. The men are set to follow the women and will begin at approximately 2 p.m.