In what may have been its final match of the 2020 season, the Hillsdale College men's tennis team had one of its best performances of the year in a 5-1 victory over a strong NAIA squad, Southeastern, on Thursday down in Lakeland, FL.
Coming off a tough loss to 18th-ranked Florida Southern on Tuesday, the Chargers came out playing at high level from the start of the doubles competition, sweeping all three flights to secure the doubles point.
Senior Charlie Adams and junior Ivanhoe Lissanevitch got a 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles, senior Michael Szabo and sophomore Brian Hackman also won 6-4 at No. 2 doubles, and senior Julien Clouette and freshman Tyler Conrad won 6-3 at No. 3 doubles.
The singles competition also went in the Chargers' favor, as Lissanevitch won 6-2, 6-2 over his opponent at No. 2 singles, Hackman took a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 4 sinles, and Conrad got a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles.
Szabo got a tougher fight at No. 3 singles but overcame a 9-7 tiebreak loss in the first set to win 6-3, 10-5 and secure the 5-1 victory.
Even the one match Hillsdale lost was close and hard-fought, as Clouette took Southeastern's Thomas Ortega to three sets before falling in a narrow 4-6, 6-1, 10-6 decision.
Adams' match at No. 1 singles went unfinished but was a close battle when it was called.
Hillsdale improves to 7-2 overall with the win. What's next for the Chargers is uncertain.
There will be no NCAA tournament in men's tennis this year after the organization canceled all winter and spring championships on Thursday out of concern over the spread of the coronavirus in the USA.
Hillsdale was scheduled to finish its Florida trip with a match against St. Leo today, but that has been cancelled as well.
The status of the rest of the season is to be determined, as the G-MAC meets this weekend to determine whether spring seasons for conference play will continue.
If Hillsdale goes ahead, its next match would be March 21, at home against Lawrence Tech.
Photo: Brad Monastiere