Wingate Claims 2015 South Atlantic Conference Men’s Tennis Crown

BREVARD, N.C. – Top seeded Wingate University men's tennis team second straight South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Championship crown, taking a 5-1 championship match decision over Tusculum College on Saturday morning  at the McCoy Tennis Complex. Bulldogs sophomore Filippo Pezzoli (Milan, Italy) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

The Bulldogs (15-5 overall), who won its third conference title in four years, receive the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division II Championships. The Pioneers (18-2) will await word regarding an at-large bid to the tournament.

Amir Zari (Jerusalem, Israel) won the clinching match of the day at No. 3 singles against Tusculum's Jonas Winkelmann (Boblingen, Germany) in three sets. Winkelmann dominated the first set, winning 6-2 before Zari came back and swept the second set to tie the match at one set a piece. With momentum on his side, Zari carried his second set victory into the final set by defeating his counterpart, 6-1.

The day began with Wingate taking the doubles matches by a score of 2-1. Connor Kudrick (Spring, Texas) and Zari defeated Leon Seiz (Ludwigsburg, Germany) and Tashique Kader (Obertshausen, Germany) at No. 2 doubles, in an exciting match to give the first win of the day to the Bulldogs.

Pezzoli and Schofer beat Joseph Elphingstone (Calhoun, Ga.) and David Siegle (Ditzingen, Germany), 8-4, in a tightly battled match. Jonas Winkelmann and his brother Lukas Winkelmann (Boblingen, Germany) picked up the only win for the Pioneers in the top doubles match by defeating Neal Towlson (Warwick, Bermuda) and Sebastian Hall (Lorrach, Germany), 8-6. The Wingkelmann brothers were down 5-1 in the match before coming back to tie it at six. They eventually won the final two games to take the contest.

Josh DuToit (Charlotte, N.C.) defeated Toby de Klerk (Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands) in a two set sweep, 6-0, 6-4 at No. 6 singles to put the Bulldogs ahead 3-1 on the afternoon. The fifth singles match between Pezzoli and Kader finished in three sets. Pezzoli won the first set, 6-1, before Kader came back and beat his opponent by the same score to force a third set. Pezzoli, however, won the final set by a score of 6-0 to set up Zari's clinching match at No. 3 singles.

Towlson was ahead of Lukas Winkelmann in the top singles match 7-6 (7-5), 3-2 while Hall was in the middle of his second set against Tusculum's Nicolas Planchard (Frisange, Luxemburg) (1-6, 6-5) when match was stopped due to Wingate clinching. Seiz was up a set against Kudrick at No. 4 singles 7-6 (7-4), 5-2 when play was stopped.

It was the second straight conference finals the two teams faced each other while they also face-offed in the SAC Men's Championship Semi-finals in 2012 and 2013.

Singles competition

1. Neal Towlson (WU) vs. #3 Lukas Winkelmann (TC) 7-6 (7-5), 3-2, unfinished

2. Sebastian Hall (WU) vs. Nicolas Planchard (TC) 1-6, 6-5, unfinished

3. Amir Zari (WU) def. Jonas Winkelmann (TC) 2-6, 6-0, 6-1

4. Connor Kudrick (WU) vs. Leon Seiz (TC) 6-7 (4-7), 2-5, unfinished

5. Filippo Pezzoli (WU) def. Tashique Kader (TC) 6-1, 1-6, 6-0

6. Josh DuToit (WU) def. Toby de Klerk (TC) 6-0, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Lukas Winkelmann/Jonas Winkelmann (TC) def. Neal Towlson/Sebastian Hall (WU) 8-6

2. Connor Kudrick/Amir Zari (WU) def. Leon Seiz/Tashique Kader (TC) 8-3

3. Filippo Pezzoli/Tyler Schofer (WU) def. Joseph Elphingstone/David Siegle (TC) 8-4