Tritons Drop Season Opener to No. 5 Saint Leo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd men's tennis team battled in its season opener against No. 5 Saint Leo but ultimately fell, 6-1, Tuesday afternoon at the Bullard Courts. 
 
The Tritons (0-1, 0-1 SSC) picked up a victory in doubles but dropped the following two as No. 5 Saint Leo (2-0, 1-0 SSC) picked up the first point. EC added a point in singles play as Alexander Webb defeated Athanasios Bilis 2-6, 7-5, 10-7, but the Lions went on to sweep the remaining matches. 
 
Pierre-Olivier Lassalle and Prakrut Patel team up at No. 1 doubles to take down the regionally-ranked duo of Aurel Ciocanu and Willem Van Den Akker 6-4.

Lassalle narrowly missed picking up another point for the Tritons as he was edged 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-3 by Nicolas Bacella in No. 2 singles in a marathon of a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Patel battled at the No. 3 singles picking up four games in each set, but he fell 6-4 in each set. 

The Tritons remain at home as they host Southeastern University (Fla.) Thursday at 3:00 PM. 
 
Doubles Competition
1. Pierre Lassalle/Prakrut Patel (ECM) def. Aurel Ciocanu/Willem Van Den Akker (SLM) 6-4
2. Alexander Parker/Leo Vega (SLM) def. Matt Spasic/Will Stone (ECM) 6-0
3. Ghali Mensour/Nicolas Bacella (SLM) def. Alex Webb/Sam Walker (ECM) 6-1
 
Singles Competition
1. Alexander Parker (SLM) def. Matt Spasic (ECM) 6-4, 6-3
2. Nicolas Bacella (SLM) def. Pierre Lassalle (ECM) 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-3
3. Aurel Ciocanu (SLM) def. Prakrut Patel (ECM) 6-4, 6-4
4. #45 Ghali Mensour (SLM) def. Will Stone (ECM) 6-4, 6-1
5. Kayne Trustfull (SLM) def. Sam Walker (ECM) 6-1, 6-2
6. Alex Webb (ECM) def. Athanasios Bilis (SLM) 2-6, 7-5, 10-7