Queens' Season Ends in NCAA First Round
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Nationally 30th-ranked Queens University of Charlotte fell 5-4 to Barton College in the opening match of the 2017 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional on Friday, April 28 John W. Walden Tennis Complex on the campus of Columbus State University.
Queens (16-2) was on a 15-match win streak and had not lost to a NCAA Division II match all season, but Barton (15-8) was able to pull off the shocker by rallying to win four-of-six singles contests.
With the dual tied at 4-4, all eyes were focused on the top singles flight where Queens' Jules Athalis was in an intense battle with Barton's Julian Bosch. Athalis and Bosch had traded the first two sets, and the match and the game all came down to their final set.
Athalis led the third set most of the way and was poised to close it out when he led 5-4, but Bosch staved off elimination and eventually took over a 6-5 advantage himself. Athalis then came back to tie the game, 6-6, and forced a tiebreaker. That is where Bosch eventually took over and won the set and match with a 7-4 decision for the seventh and deciding point.
The upset did not appear so likely when Queens had come out of doubles with a 2-1 lead. First, the No. 2 team of Sebastian Meum and Agustin Aran Martin won 8-3, and the No. 3 duo of Joel Dunlap and Jules Athalis prevailed 8-5.
Barton's top team of Julian Bosch and Jesus Gil were able to salvage a point out of doubles as they eked by Paolo Bompieri and Andor Vas, 8-6. Little did either team know at the time, but that narrow victory for the Bulldogs came back to be absolutely massive.
Once the match moved over to single, the Royals still didn't appear to be in trouble as Agustin Aran Martin won the No. 3 match by shutout to push the lead to 3-1. While BC then grabbed the No. 2 match, QU was put on the verge of a victory as Andor Vas prevailed 6-0, 7-6 in the fourth flight.
While Queens had moved ahead 4-2 on the scoreboard, the Bulldogs were on the verge of winning and ultimately won the fifth and sixth positions to tie the match up. It was there that Ermanno Galimberti and Jesus Gil grinded out tough matches over QU's Sebastian Meum and Zachary Williams.
Doubles
1. Julian Bosch/Jesus Gil (BARTON) def. Paolo Bompieri/Andor Vas (QUMTN) 8-6
2. Sebastian Meum/Agustin Aran Martin (QUMTN) def. Ermanno Galimberti/Yaxi Pintado (BARTON) 8-3
3. Joel Dunlap/Jules Athalis (QUMTN) def. Rory Gaydon/Jake McCartney (BARTON) 8-5
Singles
1. Julian Bosch (BARTON) def. Jules Athalis (QUMTN) 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Jake McCartney (BARTON) def. Paolo Bompieri (QUMTN) 6-2, 6-2
3. Agustin Aran Martin (QUMTN) def. Yaxi Pintado (BARTON) 6-0, 6-0
4. Andor Vas (QUMTN) def. Rory Gaydon (BARTON) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Ermanno Galimberti (BARTON) def. Sebastian Meum (QUMTN) 7-5, 6-4
6. Jesus Gil (BARTON) def. Zachary Williams (QUMTN) 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,2,4,5,6,1)