University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Tennis Claims Third-Straight A-10 Championship
04/09/2006 | Men's Tennis
April 9, 2006
MONROEVILLE, Pa. - The University of Richmond men's tennis squad defeated the top-seed Charlotte 49ers, 4-1, in the final round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Club 4 Life in Monroeville, Pa. on its way to its third-straight Atlantic 10 Championship. The Spiders, who concluded their season 12-13 overall and 1-2 in the A-10, earned their fourth A-10 Title in the last five years and are the lowest seed (No. 6) in history to capture the men's tennis title and earn the Atlantic 10 Conference's automatic bid into the 2006 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship.
Richmond's second and third doubles duos Doug Banker/Brett Waikart and Chris Louis/David Berry each came up with wins to give the Spiders a 1-0 advantage heading into singles action.
While Louis' No. 4 and Waikart's No. 5 singles matches were not finished, McNally earned a hard-fought win at No. 2 singles (6-4, 7-6), and Matt Stillwagon and Michael Sommer each earned wins at No. 3 and 6, respectively. Although Banker fell at first singles, the Spiders were still able to take a 3-1 advantage in singles action and ended the title game, 4-1, avenging their loss to the 49ers earlier in the season.
Sommer concluded the A-10 Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record at sixth singles, while Louis finished with a 3-0 record at fourth singles and a 3-1 record at third doubles. McNally rounded out play with a 2-0 singles mark at the No. 2 position, while him and teammate Stillwagon ended with a 3-0 mark at first doubles.
#6 RICHMOND 4, #1 CHARLOTTE 1
Doubles:
1. Bobby McNally/Matt Stillwagon (UR) def. Ryan Johnson/Felix Bernhoerster (CHA) - 7-7 (DNF)
2. Doug Banker/Brett Waikart (UR) def. Roy Sichel/Jean-Michel Werk (CHA) - 8-3
3. Chris Louis/David Berry (UR) def. Stuart Lynas/Dorian Host (CHA) - 8-6
Singles:
1. Sichel (CHA) def. Banker (UR) - 6-3, 6-3
2. McNally (UR) def. Johnson (CHA) - 6-4, 7-6
3. Stillwagon (UR) def. Host - 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Louis (UR) vs. Zvi Lantsberg (CHA) - 6-4, 2-6, 4-2 (DNF)
5. Waikart (UR) vs. Lynas (CHA) - 3-6, 7-5, 4-1 (DNF)
6. Michael Sommer (UR) def. Bernhoerster (CHA) - 6-0, 7-6
