MOBILE, Ala. – Southeastern University leaned on its depth Wednesday, and freshman Gonzalo Fernandez delivered in the clutch. With the team score tied at three, Fernandez secured the deciding point at No. 6 singles to lift the No. 4 Fire to a 4-3 victory over No. 12 Cumberland University in the second round of the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship.
After SEU jumped out to a 3-1 lead, Cumberland battled back with wins at No. 1 and No. 5 singles to even the match. That set the stage for Fernandez, who took the first set 6-2 before Cumberland's Julian Parada forced a decider with a 7-5 second-set win. Fernandez stayed composed and sealed the match – and the Fire's spot in the quarterfinals – with a 6-3 third-set victory.
Cumberland came out strong in doubles, earning wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Parada and Vitor Ferreira edged SEU's Diego Menendez and Piero Fernandez, 6-4, while Daniel Wessels and Paul-Daniel Meyer defeated Mark Griffin and Alejandro Orihuela, 6-3. SEU's No. 2 duo of Javier Gallego and Gonzalo Fernandez were tied 5-5 with the Phoenix's Elisey Kalashnikov and Gabriel Godoy when the match was left unfinished.
The Fire responded in singles. Gallego evened the team score with a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 4 over Meyer. Orihuela followed with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 3, and Menendez added a 7-5, 6-2 victory at No. 2 to put SEU ahead 3-1.
Cumberland's top player, No. 25-ranked Wessels, outlasted No. 50 Piero Fernandez in a three-set battle at No. 1. Wessels took the first set 6-4, dropped the second 6-3, but prevailed 6-4 in the third. Godoy then tied the match at 3-3 by defeating Griffin at No. 5, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
That left it all up to Gonzalo Fernandez, who came through with poise beyond his years to send the Fire into the quarterfinals.
Southeastern (17-2) advances to face No. 13 University of the Cumberlands in the national quarterfinals Thursday at 2 p.m.
