FORT MYERS, Fla. – For the second year in a row, the FGCU men's tennis team and Kennesaw State featured in an instant classic. This time, however, FGCU was on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline. The Eagles fall to 6-11 in 2017 and 2-3 in ASUN play while the Owls move to 11-6 overall and 3-2 in ASUN action.

"I'm really proud of the way our guys fought back today," said head coach CJ Weber. "For us to come back from 3-0 down to almost win shows how far we've come this season. We're right there and all it's going to take is one bounce to go our way and get our confidence back. Our focus now is on Lipscomb and ending the conference schedule on a positive note."

In a nearly 4-hour match featuring winds that played a large factor through the match, FGCU trailed 3-0 before storming back to tie the match at 3-3 after Felipe Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School) overcame a 4-1 deficit in the third set to lead 6-5 before prevailing in the tiebreaker 7-2 over Simon Pritchard. Ramirez had won the first set but dropped his second to one of the ASUN's top singles players this season before emerging victorious in the third set.

At that point, the match fell to Oliver Landert (Naples, Fla./Florida Virtual School/Florida) at No. 2. Landert had claimed a 6-4 first set win over Fermin Calvo Barcelo but suffered a 7-6 loss in the second to force a third set, just as Ramirez had fallen behind 4-1. Ramirez's match concluded as Landert trailed 3-2. After both players broke serve, Landert held to even the third set at 4-4. Calvo Barcelo, however, would go on to win each of the next two games, to clinch the win for Kennesaw State.

The gap for FGCU started with a pair of doubles losses, at No. 1 and No. 2. Ezequiel Cerrini (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./Homeschool) and Andres Alfonzo (Hollywood, Fla./Florida Virtual School/Texas Christian University) were the first to fall at No. 2, dropping a 6-2 match to David Durham and Drew Wendel. As Mateo Ruiz (Bucaramanga, Colombia/Oklahoma State) and Javier Fernandez (Ibiza, Spain/IES CTEIB) were fighting back from 4-1 down on Court 3, Landert and Ramirez were on the verge of handing Lucas de Torres and Pritchard their first loss in ASUN play. The Owl pairing, however, stormed back to clinch the point in a tiebreaker.

Alfonzo then suffered a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Wendel at No. 5 and the deficit grew to 3-0 when Ruiz fell to Sam Slade 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3.

Fernandez began the comeback moments later with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Jake Bouchillon.

Cerrini, who fell behind early in his first set only to come back and win in a tiebreaker, defeated de Torres 7-6, 6-4.

UP NEXT
FGCU concludes ASUN play Saturday at 6 p.m. against Lipscomb.

FULL RESULTS
DOUBLES
1) de Torres/Pritchard (KSU) def. Ramirez/Landert (FGCU) 7-6
2) Durham/Wendel (KSU) def. Alfonzo/Cerrini (FGCU) 6-2
3) Ruiz/Fernandez (FGCU) vs. Calvo/Slade (KSU) DNF
SINGLES
1) Ramirez (FGCU) def. Pritchard (KSU) 6-2, 6-7, 7-6
2) Calvo (KSU) def. Landert (FGCU) 4-6,
3) Slade (KSU) def. Ruiz (FGCU) 4-6, 4-6
4) Cerrini (FGCU) def. de Torres (KSU) 7-6, 6-4
5) Wendel (KSU) def. Alfonzo (FGCU) 6-2, 6-2
6) Fernandez (FGCU) def. Bouchillon (KSU) 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1), Singles (5, 3, 6, 4, 1, 2)

CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by CJ Weber who has coached 23 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his fifth year, Weber has compiled a 70-54 (.600) overall record and a 28-14 (.694) record in ASUN play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever Atlantic Sun Championship and first-ever Atlantic Sun Regular Season title after a program-best 17 wins. In his third season, Weber led Jordi Vives to a No. 35 national ranking, a nation-leading 14-match unbeaten streak and the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament - the program's first appearance. The Eagles completed consecutive perfect ASUN seasons in 2016 and back-to-back conference titles as well as a second-straight Coach of the Year honor for Weber.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.