Men's Tennis | March 7, 2021

NEWARK, N.J. - The La Salle University men's tennis team had its chances in a road match against NJIT on Sunday afternoon, but fell just short in a 5-2 decision.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams split the bottom two doubles matches, with the deciding No. 1 match going to a tiebreaker.
• Josh Smith and Samuel Townes outdid seniors Rogelio Gonzalez and Connor Merrill, 6-1, to take a 1-0 lead.
• In singles, sophomore Brandon Caban moved to 2-0 on the year with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Juan Bejarano.
• Merrill picked up his first singles victory of the year with a three-set win at No. 2, taking the decisive third by a 6-1 margin.
• Junior Nassim Fenjiro had match point during his second-set tiebreaker at No. 3, but could not take advantage and went on to fall in a heartbreaker, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers have added a match to their schedule against Bucknell on Sunday, March 14 in Lewisburg, before opening Atlantic 10 play the following week against George Mason.

RESULTS
NJIT 5, La Salle 2

Singles

1. Abdullah Fouad (NJIT) def. Rogelo Gonzalez (LAS) 6-4, 6-4

2. Connor Merrill (LAS) def. Josh Smith (NJIT) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

3. Amine El Kholti (NJIT) def. Nassim Fenjiro (LAS) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3

4. Samuel Townes (NJIT) def. Colin Lucius (LAS) 7-6, 6-3

5. Ashwin Kanetkar (NJIT) def. Dylan Tull (LAS) 7-6, 6-1

6. Brandon Caban (LAS) def. Juan Bejarano (NJIT) 6-4, 6-2

 

Doubles

1. Josh Smith/Samuel Townes (NJIT) def. Rogelo Gonzalez/Connor Merrill (LAS) 7-6 (6-1)

2. Colin Lucius/Nassim Fenjiro (LAS) def. Abdullah Fouad/Amine El Kholti (NJIT) 7-5

3. Ashwin Kanetkar/Ammar Fekry (NJIT) def. Dylan Tull/Brandon Caban (LAS) 6-4