FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 20, 2024) – After rallying from a 3-0 deficit, the University of North Alabama men's tennis team suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat to No. 1 North Florida in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament semifinal round Saturday evening in Fort Myers, Fla.
 
The Lions came up one point short against the Ospreys, who were nationally ranked in the ITA rankings last week. UNA stormed back after dropping three-straight points to UNF to force a deciding match from court five.
 
North Florida took the doubles point and won the first two singles matches, but freshmen Izan Orgiles, Birtan Duran and Alberto Altur sparked a furious comeback to tie the dual at three apiece. Junior Nazar Fedoryshyn overcame a dropped first set to win a second-set tiebreaker, setting up the decider from the fifth flight. Fedoryshyn battled, but the Ospreys saw the match out with a 6-3 win in the last set to move on to the ASUN Tournament Championship.
 
UNA's season ends with a 16-8 overall record, including a 6-3 record in the ASUN and a 1-1 record in the postseason. North Florida heads into the championship match with No. 3 Stetson at 13-8 overall and 9-0 in the ASUN.
 
North Florida began the dual by taking the doubles point. Two-straight wins from UNF's top two flights secured the Ospreys a 1-0 advantage as the dual headed into singles play. The third-flight match involving sophomore Lachlan Brain and Orgiles, the 2024 ASUN Freshman of the Year, went unfinished tied at 4-4.
 
The Ospreys would keep their momentum in singles, taking the first two singles matches from courts six and one, respectively. UNF's Breno Marques and reigning ASUN Player of the Year Jonas Hartenstein gave North Florida a 3-0 lead, with the Ospreys needing one more point to clinch the dual.
 
Orgiles responded for the Lions, securing the first team point with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over Rodrigo Crespo from flight two. It also marked the first win over the Ospreys in any individual match this season.
 
Duran showed why he was a unanimous ASUN All-Freshman selection, beating Juan Pablo Cenoz 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 from court three for his 17th win of the season. The comeback was on after Altur's win, using three-sets on court four to defeat PJ Kotan, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
 
The final match involving Fedoryshyn and UNF's Andreas Scott was a battle, with UNA's fifth flight overcoming a 3-6 first set to rally in the second. His 7-6 win via a 7-5 tiebreaker sent the match into the third set with a spot in the championship on the line.
 
Fedoryshyn went down 3-0 in the final frame but rallied back three-straight set points to tie it back at 3-3. Unfortunately for UNA, Scott would take the final three set points to clinch the win for North Florida.
 
With the season coming to an end, North Alabama Men's Tennis heads into the offseason after a sensational 2024 campaign. UNA finished with a Division I program-record 16 wins, along with the most home (7) and away (5) wins in Division I program history. The Lions also celebrated their most decorated Division I season with three ASUN Player of the Week honors and four ASUN postseason honors, as well as their second all-time ASUN Tournament win on Friday against Lipscomb.
 
 
North Florida 4, North Alabama 3
 
Doubles
1. Jonas Hartenstein/Rodrigo Crespo (UNF) def. Alberto Altur/Birtan Duran (UNA), 6-3
2. Juan Pablo Cenaz/Patrick Kotan (UNF) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn/Federico Scotuzzi (UNA), 6-4
3. Andreas Scott/Breno Marques (UNF) vs. Lachlan Brain/Izan Orgiles (UNA), 4-4, unfinished
 
Singles
1. Jonas Hartenstein (UNF) def. Lachlan Brain (UNA), 6-3, 6-2
2. Izan Orgiles (UNA) def. Rodrigo Crespo (UNF), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
3. Birtan Duran (UNA) def. Juan Pablo Cenaz (UNF), 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
4. Alberto Altur (UNA) def. Patrick Kotan (UNF), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
5. Andreas Scott (UNF) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn (UNA), 6-3, 6(5)-7(7), 6-3
6. Breno Marques (UNF) def. Federico Scotuzzi (UNA), 6-0, 6-2
 
 
Match Notes
North Florida 13-8
North Alabama 16-8
 
Order of Completion: Doubles (2,3,1) Singles (3,4,2,6,5)
 
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