BOX SCORE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford men's tennis team ran its winning streak to six-straight matches with a 5-2 win over Mercer Friday afternoon at the Samford Tennis Complex.
 
"Today was a very competitive match from both sides," Samford head coach Rahim Esmail said. "Both teams fought extremely hard and this was a very well earned victory for us. Mercer is a very tough team, and they compete extremely hard – they really make you beat them and don't give you an inch. The entire match was competitive from the start, and I am happy that we were able to come out of here with a win."
 
Samford got the match off to a good start, by winning the doubles point, two matches to one. The Bulldogs earned wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles to earn an early 1-0 lead.
 
At No. 1 doubles, Trey Carter and Leonard Gerch defeated Arsav Mohanty and Ruben Vanoppen, 6-4. At the No. 3 doubles spot, Justin Ghavami and Fares Kilani earned a 7-5 win over Zacharie El Ayat and Fernando Guardia.
 
"Our guys did a great job of digging deep and showed a lot of tenacity at tough times during the match," Esmail said. "We found a way to win that double point which was key."
 
In singles, Samford earned wins at No. 2, No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6 to earn the victory. At No. 2, Carter defeated Arnav Mohanty, 6-1, 7-5. Ghavami defeated Nicolas Guillon, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 at the No. 3 position.
 
At No. 5 singles, Jake Faundez defeated Arsav Mohanty, 6-2, 6-3. Henry Moore earned the clinching point at No. 6 singles, defeating Vanoppen, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
 
"We did a great job in singles today, on the courts that we came out with a win on," Esmail said. "Jake and Trey were nails today. Jake didn't blink an eye, and Trey was very solid throughout the match. Trey has done a very good job of being a consistent, reliable and confident competitor when it comes to playing the big points.
 
"Justin and Henry both did a great job in gutting out some tough three-setters," Esmail said. "What a special moment for Henry to be the clinching fourth point of the match on Senior Day – to come in last minute and have to fill a role in our line up pays credit to the depth of our team. I'm proud of the way we competed today and am looking forward to getting back to work this week."
 
With the win, Samford improves to 11-4 overall and 5-1 in Southern Conference play. Mercer falls to 10-13 overall and 4-1 in league matches.
 
Samford will wrap up the 2016 regular season with a match at Chattanooga on April 13. The match is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. from Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
Samford 5, Mercer 2
 
Singles competition
1. Sam Philp (MER) def. Fares Kilani (SAM-M) 6-4, 6-0
2. Trey Carter (SAM-M) def. Arnav Mohanty (MER) 6-1, 7-5
3. Justin Ghavami (SAM-M) def. Nicolas Guillon (MER) 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
4. Anderson Scarpa (MER) def. Leonard Gerch (SAM-M) 6-3, 6-4
5. Jake Faundez (SAM-M) def. Arsav Mohanty (MER) 6-2, 6-3
6. Henry Moore (SAM-M) def. Ruben Vanoppen (MER) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
 
Doubles competition
1. Trey Carter/Leonard Gerch (SAM-M) def. Arsav Mohanty/Ruben Vanoppen (MER) 6-4
2. Arnav Mohanty/Sam Philp (MER) def. Jake Faundez/Eduardo L. Sanchez (SAM-M) 6-4
3. Justin Ghavami/Fares Kilani (SAM-M) def. Zacharie El Ayat/Fernando Guardia (MER) 7-5