CHATTANOOGA, TENN. – The fourth-seeded Mercer Bears held off No. 5 Furman, 4-1, in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Men's Tennis Championship, Thursday afternoon at the Champions Club.

Furman's season ends with an 8-15 overall record. The win improves Mercer to 10-12 on the season and advances to tomorrow's semifinals to face top-seeded East Tennessee State at 2 p.m.

The Bears took an early 1-0 lead after capturing the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2. Amen Prince Gandonou and Shingo Masuda topped Evan Duggal and Landon Ecarma in the No. 2 match by a 6-4 score, and the No. 1 contest saw Nemanja Stefanovic and Hod'Abalo Isak Padio clinch the point with a 6-4 win over Nicolas Dispas and Nico Snyder.

The tandem of Alex Han and Finn Pollard were tied in their No. 3 match with Howell Burns and Cameron Douthit, 5-5, when Mercer secured the doubles point.

The Bears followed in singles with victories at No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5 to pick up the 4-1 win. Mercer closed out the match with three straight wins beginning at No. 3 when Masuda defeated Theophile Joly, 6-4, 6-4. Padio then won 6-2, 6-4 against Snyder at No. 1. Alex Aldaz won the match with his three-set victory at No. 5 versus Ecarma, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Walker Allen put the Paladins on the board with his team leading ninth win of the season playing at No. 4. The junior from Cumming, Ga., registered a straight-set win against Gandonou, 6-2, 6-2, and tied the match at 1-1.

Furman had two players competing in their third set when the Bears clinched the victory. Playing at No. 2, Dispas was ahead of Stefanovic, 7-6(5), 3-6, 3-1, while Han was tied at No. 6 versus Burns, 7-5, 4-6, 2-2.

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