FORT MYERS, Fla. – The first upset of ASUN Tournament play has happened, and in doing so, host FGCU put on quite the show. The fifth-seeded Eagles (9-13) started by winning the doubles point and finished in a dramatic third-set tiebreak for the 4-3 win over No. 4 seed EKU (12-15).
Tied at 3-3, all eyes turned to No. 4 singles where FGCU's
Mika Bunjes was in a back-and-forth battle with EKU's Ilia Cazac. They split the first two sets and Bunjes jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third set before Cazac battled back, forcing a decisive tiebreak.
That tiebreak mimicked the match as a whole, with Bunjes leading 4-2 before Cazac tied it at 6-6. That is when Bunjes scored two straight points to clinch the singles match and the team match overall.
FGCU would not have been in that position if not for a gutsy doubles point and two other critical singles points. All-ASUN second team honoree
Tanner Povey and
Jonathan Baron scored the 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles before Eastern Kentucky evened it with a win at No. 1 doubles.
Gustav Hasslegren and
CJ Smith, playing a doubles point for the first time this season, scored the 6-3 victory to claim the doubles point for FGCU.
Entering singles play, EKU evened the match at 1-1 as Fernando Bulnes posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Baron.
Stefan Correa, an ASUN All-Freshman Team selection, pushed FGCU ahead 2-1 as he decisively defeated Joao Barreto, 6-2, 6-3.
The Colonels pulled even once more as Nuno Pinheiro battled back to defeat
Tanner Povey, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Pablo Paternostro then regained the lead for the Green & Blue with a tight three-set win at No. 2 singles, edging Nano 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). Moments after that match ended, Eastern Kentucky drew even once more as Adrian Contreras scored a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over
Stavros Hadjivarnava. That set the stage for Bunjes's dramatics.
With the win, No. 5 seed FGCU advances to Friday's semifinal and will face No. 1 seed North Florida (14-8) on Friday, Apr. 17 at 9 a.m. The Eagles are 5-2 in ASUN Tournament play against the Ospreys, last meeting in the 2023 championship match, where FGCU took the 4-0 win.
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Game Notes:
- With the win, Florida Gulf Coast advances to face No. 1 seed North Florida on Friday, Apr. 17 at 9 a.m.
- Florida Gulf Coast is now 18-8 (.692) all-time in ASUN Tournament play. The Eagles have posted a 7-1 (.875) record in tournament play when hosting.
- The Eagles have now won eight consecutive matches in ASUN Tournament Quarterfinal play and are 8-1 (.889) overall in the quarterfinals.
- With the win, Florida Gulf Coast is now 2-1 all-time against EKU. This was their first meeting in ASUN Tournament play.
