Troy University Athletics
Saturday, April 18
New Orleans, La.
9:45 a.m.
Troy University
4
vs
1
UL Lafayette
Players Mentioned
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
Photo by: Derick Hingle
Top-Seeded Troy Wins, Sets Up Rivalry Showdown for Championship
4/18/2015 4:55:00 PM | Tennis (M)
NEW ORLEANS – The top-seeded Troy men's tennis team took care of business in its Sun Belt Championships semifinal, beating UL Lafayette, 4-1, on Saturday at the UNO Tennis Center.
The win sets up a Sunday championship match between Troy and in-state rival South Alabama. Troy, ranked 60th in the nation, and South Alabama, ranked 69th, will start at 10:30 a.m. at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center in New Orleans.
Troy (24-6) started strong against UL Lafayette in Saturday's semifinal and never looked back. With four matches able to play at once, the Trojans took the first set in all four and quickly took a 1-0 lead when Daniel Bustamante won at No. 4 over Will Huyton, 6-3, 6-1.
Hassan Ndayishimye then gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Jake Wynan at No. 2 singles. UL Lafayette (14-13), who defeated Georgia Southern in Friday's first round, got its lone point with a win at No. 3 singles to cut the Troy lead to 2-1.
Gabriel Dias rebounded from losing the second set to Edgar Lopez by winning at No. 1, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, putting the Trojans on the brink of clinching the match. By the time Dias won, Pablo Moreno had already won the first set at No. 5, and from there he went on to win 6-3, 6-2 and give Troy the victory.
After finishing the regular season with a 5-0 mark in Sun Belt matches, Troy's win over UL Lafayette on Saturday now gives them a win over every Sun Belt team this season.
Troy advances to the Sun Belt championship match for the first time since 2010 when the Trojans won their only Sun Belt championship. Troy will be playing South Alabama (16-8) for the second time this season. Troy beat South Alabama on the road in late February, 4-3.
The third-seeded Jaguars will be playing their third match in as many days after beating Appalachian State in Friday's first round and UT Arlington, the No. 2 seed, in Saturday's other semifinal.
The winner of Sunday's match will receive the Sun Belt's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship Regionals, which begin on May 8 at campus sites. Troy has made one previous appearance in the NCAA Tournament, falling to Auburn in the first round of the 2010 Gainesville regional.
For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat by searching for Troy Athletics.
#60 Troy 4, UL Lafayette 1
Apr 18, 2015 at New Orleans, La. (City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Gabriel Dias (TROY) def. Lopez, Edgar (UL-L) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
2. Hassan Ndayishimye (TROY) def. Wynan, Jake (UL-L) 7-5, 6-3
3. Farinola, Damian (UL-L) def. Andy Lau (TROY) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
4. Daniel Bustamante (TROY) def. Huyton, Will (UL-L) 6-3, 6-1
5. Pablo Moreno (TROY) def. Wynan, Jarred (UL-L) 6-3, 6-2
6. Giovani Samaha (TROY) vs. Kramarov, Vlad (UL-L) 4-3, unfinished
Match Notes
UL Lafayette 14-13
Troy 23-6; National ranking #60
Order of finish: Doubles (); Singles (4,2,3,1,5)
2015 Sun Belt Conference Men's Tennis Championship Semifinals
ITA Shortened Format: Singles played first, Doubles played if necessary
Skylar Meade Postgame - Texas State Game 1
Saturday, April 11
Eric Newell Postgame Press Conference (Texas State Game One)
Saturday, April 11
Troy vs. Texas State - G1 (Full Highlights)
Saturday, April 11
Doc Anderson Invitational
Thursday, April 09