Box Score

PADUCAH, Ky. – In a classic championship match that came down to a third set at No. 6, the Jacksonville
State men's tennis team claimed the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship, 4-3, over Belmont on Saturday at the Heflin Tennis Center in Paducah, Ky.

The Gamecocks (17-7), who shared the regular season title with the Bruins, won the program's fourth OVC crown and the first since 2009.  It's also the second time that JSU has won both the regular season and tournament title as it won both in 2007.  The Gamecocks earned the league's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship that will get underway in May.  The 64-team field will be announced on NCAA.com on April 29.

"It was a great team effort today.  We knew the doubles point would be key to the match and Belmont played an outstanding match.  It was just a great college tennis match today," said head coach Steve Bailey.

Junior Felipe Wenzel, who was inserted in to the line up prior to the match at No. 6 singles, clinched the championship after bouncing back from a first set loss to Martjn Verberne, 7-6 (5).  Wenzel quick-worked Verberne the next two sets, 6-0, 6-0.

The Gamecocks picked up the crucial doubles point in a tiebreaker on court No. 2.  After JSU's team of Jefferson Wendler-Filho and Wenzel topped Hans Nardelli and Verberne, 8-5, the Bruins evened doubles with an 8-6 win at No. 1 over Jax State's pairing of Jaryd Reese and Pedro Wagner.  The freshmen duo of Mathias Chaim and Dylan Gee clinched the point with a thrilling 8-7 win as they won the tiebreak, 7-4.

With momentum on its side, JSU jumped up a set on No. 4 and 5 singles.  Wendler-Filho, an OVC second Team performer, needed little time disposing of Nardelli at No. 4.  He tallied the second team point with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.  Chaim battled Henrik Claesson at No. 5 before he added the Gamecocks' third point after a 6-2, 7-5 win. 

Needing just one more point for the championship, the Bruins pushed JSU to the third set at No. 6 after Mauricio Antun, the league's Player of the Year, topped Wagner at No. 1, 7-6 (5), 6-1.  Reese tested Marko Lovrinovic, but dropped a 7-4, 7-6 decision.  Gee fell to Cedric Dujacquier, the OVC Freshman of the Year, 6-1, 6-4.