FLUSHING, NY – The St. Thomas Aquinas College men’s team won their fifth match in a row on Sunday, besting Stonehill College 5-2 at the Queens College Tennis Center. Wins at second and third doubles gave the Spartans a 1-0 match lead heading into singles play, where upset-minded Stonehill showcased their grittiness.
Losses at second and third singles sandwiched around an Odysseas Papaioannou ’22 (Thessalonikki, Greece) win at the top flight made it a 2-2 match score. Papaioannou would battle back after dropping his first set for the win. Tony Khamassi ’23 (Cannes la Boca, France) would give the Spartans a 3-2 lead with a win at fifth singles, while senior co-captain Enej Hasicevic ’20 (Mallorca, Spain) would win the clincher by virtue of a 6-2, 6-2 score at sixth singles. Paul Voigt ’21 (Colonge, Germany) would round out the scoring with a 7-5, 6-0 win at fourth singles.
The 5-0 record for the Spartans ties the best ever start to a season, matching the 5-0 start from the 2015-16 season. They are next in action on Thursday as they host Chestnut Hill College in a matchup of regionally-ranked squads. First serve is set for 12:00 PM at Washington Township Tennis Club.
St. Thomas Aquinas College 5, Stonehill College 2
March 1, 2020
Doubles
1. Russell White/Samuel Miller (SC) def. -/4 Roberto Chong/Odysseas Papaioannou (STAC), 6-2
2. Enej Hasicevic/Alvaro Barranco (STAC) def. Christian Duffy/Ben Simmons (SC), 6-1
3. Luke Taplin/Mitch Harrison (STAC) def. Joey Conrod/Aaron Diamond (SC), 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 3*, 1
Singles
1. -/4 Odysseas Papaioannou (STAC) def. Christian Duffy (SC), 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
2. Russell White (SC) def. -/11 Roberto Chong (STAC), 7-6 (4), 6-3
3. Samuel Miller (SC) def. Alvaro Barranco (STAC), 2-6, 6-4, 7-5
4. Paul Voigt (STAC) def. Aaron Diamond (SC), 7-5, 6-0
5. Tony Khamassi (STAC) def. Ben Simmons (SC), 6-4, 6-2
6. Enej Hasicevic (STAC) def. Joey Conrod (SC), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, 5, 6*, 4
-/5 St. Thomas Aquinas – 5-0 (0-0 ECC)
-/- Stonehill – 5-2 (0-0 NE10)