JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Tusculum University outlasted Carson-Newman University 4-3 in South Atlantic Conference men's tennis action Wednesday afternoon at the Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex.

The 43rd-ranked Pioneers (10-7, 7-3 SAC) earned their first win over a ranked opponent this season by winning the doubles points from the 27th-ranked Eagles (12-5, 6-2 SAC). Nemanja Subanovic and Marco Jalalian locked down the win for Tusculum with a 6-3 victory at flight one of doubles against Ids Waterbolk and Gjorgji Jankulovski. The teams played the match in reverse order, splitting six singles matches before Tusculum won two of the three doubles contests to lock up the victory in a match that took six hours, 40 minutes to complete.

In singles play, Tusculum got the first point at flight three as Robin Eldin took care of Rintaro Oka by a 6-1, 6-0 score, but Carson-Newman came back to tie the score at 1-1 as 30th-ranked Marnix Van Dalen outlasted 50th-ranked Frank Bonacia 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) at flight one. Tusculum regained the lead at flight five as Nathan Matsuguma came from a set down and won a third-set tiebreaker for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over Waterbolk.

Carson-Newman knotted up the score at 2-2 as Marc Janse beat Subanovic 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 at flight two, but Kenta Kondou put the Pioneers back up 3-2 with a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Jankulovski at flight four. Needing a win to stay in the match, the Eagles got it at flight six as Lars Hordijk beat Jalalian 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to level the score at 3-3.

With doubles coming down to a best two-of-three for the match victory, it was the Pioneers who struck first as Kondou and Bonacia rolled to a 6-1 win over Van Dalen and Oka at flight three. Janse and Hordjik defeated the Tusculum duo of Vadzim Raitsou and Jacco Mensinga 6-2 at flight two, setting up Subanovic and Jalalian to clinch the 13th straight victory for the Pioneers over the Eagles.

Tusculum will host Lincoln Memorial on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex in the final home match of the 2022 season.