CHATTANOOGA, TENN. -- Furman, the No. 2 seed in the 2022 Southern Conference Championships, rolled past No. 7 seed Mercer, 4-1, Thursday at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.

With the win, Furman (15-8, 6-1 SoCon) advances to the semifinals of the league championships.  The Paladins will square off against No. 3 seed Samford Friday at 2 p.m. with the winner reaching the finals of the SoCon Championships.  Furman has now appeared in the semifinals every year the tournament has been contested since 2014.

The Paladins won two of three doubles contests to claim point one.  Senior James Roelofse and sophomore Emil Westling outlasted Andrew Branicki and Samuel Macleod, 7-5, at flight two, and sophomore Ben Cahill and graduate student Drew Singerman defeated Danny Flynn and Marceau Fouilhoux, 7-5, at number two.  The top-seeded match was unfinished with graduate student Ivan Mitric and freshman Jamie Connel tied, 5-5, with Lucas Wayenburg and David Georgadze. 

Furman won three singles matches, two in straight sets.  Connel, the 2022 SoCon Freshman of the Year, beat Georgadze, 6-3, 7-5, at flight two, and Singerman, who was awarded the 2022 Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award, blew past Flynn, 6-0, 6-1, at number six.  At flight two, Elijah Poritzky, who was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team, came from behind for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Fouilhoux.

The final two matches were unfinished.  Roelofse dropped the first set, 6-4, but led, 5-3, in the second set versus Macleod at number four, and Westling took set one, 6-4, over Branicki at number five before losing the second set, 6-3.  Branicki led, 5-2, in the third set. 

Mercer concludes the season at 7-15. 

Southern Conference Championships - Men's Quarterfinal

(2) Furman vs. (7) Mercer • 4/21/2022 at Chattanooga, Tenn. • The Champions Club

Furman 4, Mercer 1

Singles competition

1. Lucas Wayenburg (MERM) def. Ivan Mitric (FUR) 6-2, 6-3

2. Jamie Connel (FUR) def. David Georgadze (MERM) 6-3, 7-5

3. Elijah Poritzky (FUR) def. Marceau Fouilhoux (MERM) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

4. James Roelofse (FUR) vs. Samuel Macleod (MERM) 4-6, 5-3, unfinished

5. Emil Westling (FUR) vs. Andrew Branicki (MERM) 6-4, 3-6, 2-5, unfinished

6. Drew Singerman (FUR) def. Danny Flynn (MERM) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Ivan Mitric/Jamie Connel (FUR) vs. Lucas Wayenburg/David Georgadze (MERM) 5-5, unfinished

2. James Roelofse/Emil Westling (FUR) def. Andrew Branicki/Samuel Macleod (MERM) 7-5

3. Ben Cahill/Drew Singerman (FUR) def. Danny Flynn/Marceau Fouilhoux (MERM) 6-3

Match Notes: Mercer 7-15 • Furman 15-8

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (6,1,2,3)