BIRMINGHAM, ALA. -- The Furman men's tennis team triumphed over Samford, 5-2, in Southern Conference action Saturday at the Samford Tennis Center in Birmingham, Ala.

All three doubles matches went to tiebreakers, with the Paladins winning at flight one.  Graduate student Ivan Mitric and freshman Jamie Connel, who rank 54th nationally, defeated Jim Hendrikx and Mohammed Ali Bellalouna, 7-6.  The Bulldogs won at flights two and three for the first point.

Furman captured points at flights two through six singles for the victory.  Connel beat Hendrikx, 7-5, 6-4, at flight two, and freshman Elijah Portizky downed Eladio Fabregas, 7-5, 6-1, at number three.  At flight four, senior James Roelofse posted a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Yerrassyl Murat, and at flight five, sophomore Emil Westling held off J. B. Pickard, 7-6, 6-3.  Graduate student Drew Singerman scored a 6-2, 6-3 advantage over Harrison Williams at flight six. 

Samford scored at flight one singles, where Bellalouna outlasted Mitric, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Furman (10-7, 2-0 SoCon) will play at Mercer Sunday, April 3, at 1:30 p.m.

Furman vs Samford • 03/26/2022 at Birmingham, Ala. • Samford Tennis Center

Furman 5, Samford Men's Tennis 2

Singles competition

1. Mohammed Ali Bellalouna (SAM-M) def. Ivan Mitric (FUR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

2. Jamie Connel (FUR) def. Jim Hendrikx (SAM-M) 7-5, 6-4

3. Elijah Poritzky (FUR) def. Eladio Fabregas (SAM-M) 7-5, 6-1

4. James Roelofse (FUR) def. Yerrassyl Murat (SAM-M) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

5. Emil Westling (FUR) def. J.B. Pickard (SAM-M) 7-6, 6-3

6. Drew Singerman (FUR) def. Harrison Williams (SAM-M) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. #54 Ivan Mitric/Jamie Connel (FUR) def. Jim Hendrikx/Mohammed Ali Bellalouna (SAM-M) 7-6

2. Yerrassyl Murat/Harrison Williams (SAM-M) def. James Roelofse/Emil Westling (FUR) 7-6

3. Eladio Fabregas/Matthew Gooch (SAM-M) def. Cole Burnam/Elijah Poritzky (FUR) 7-6

Match Notes: Furman 10-7, 2-0 SoCon • Samford 3-11, 1-3 SoCon