SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the first time in program history, the Kennesaw State men's tennis team advanced to the semifinals in the 2016 Atlantic Sun Championships Friday evening, defeating No.3 Stetson in come-from-behind fashion, 4-3.

The Owls defeated the Hatters for the first time in program history, coming on a third-setter grind-it-out battle when Sam Slade won the final dual singles match deadlocked with a 3-3 scored.

The Owls jumpstarted their day earning the all-important doubles point to take a 1-0 lead over the Hatters. Manuel Castellanos and Simon Pritchard won their doubles match, 7-5, before senior Jorge Wilton and freshman Sam Slade secured the point with a 6-3 match victory over Stetson.

In singles play, David Durham won his match (6-3, 4-6, 6-2) to pull the Owls even at 2-2 after the Hatters won the first two completed matches. Durham won his first set, 6-3, before coming back in the third and final set and took it 6-2 in a hard-fought match.

Down 3-2, Drew Wendel tied the match with a 6-2, 6-2 straight-set match victory over Stetson, setting up the final match as the determination on who would advance.

In a hard-fought match between Simon Julin (Stetson) and KSU's Slade, the dual match finale came down to a grind-it-out three-setter after Slade won the first set 6-2
answered by a 6-3 second set win for Julin.

In a wild back-and-forth final third set, Slade broke a set point and came back from a 4-2 deficit and won in comeback fashion, taking a 6-4 third set to advance the Owls.

A-Sun Championship First Round Results
No. 3 Stetson vs. No. 6 Kennesaw State
Apr 22, 2015 at Spartanburg, S.C.
(USC Upstate Tennis Complex)
No. 6 Kennesaw State 4, No. 3 Stetson 3

Singles competition
1. Loic Blanco (STET) def. Simon Pritchard (KSU) 6-4, 6-1
2. Laurynas Antropikas (STET) def. Manuel Castellanos (KSU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Graham Ball (STET) def. Lucas De Torres Curth (KSU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
4. David Durham (KSU) def. Pierre-Emmanuel Fossier (STET) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
5. Sam Slade (KSU) def. Simon Julin (STET) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
6. Drew Wendel (KSU) def. Gonzalo Arroyo (STET) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Manuel Castellanos/Simon Pritchard (KSU) def. Loic Blanco/Graham Ball (STET) 7-5
2. Simon Julin/Laurynas Antropikas (STET) vs. David Durham/Drew Wendel (KSU) 5-4 DNF
3. Sam Slade/Jorge Wilton (KSU) def. Gonzalo Arroyo/Pierre-Emmanuel Fossier 6-3

Match Notes:
No. 3 Stetson
No. 6 Kennesaw State
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (1,2,4,3,6,5)

Next Up
The Owls will continue their A-Sun Championships, taking on No.1 FGCU at 9 a.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.

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