The Elon University men’s tennis team swept the College of Charleston Cougars in its opening match of the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Tennis Tournament, winning 4-0 to advance to the semifinals.
Elon got off to a strong start, clinching the doubles point with a 6-2 win by senior Camilo Ponce and graduate student Kyle Frankel and a 6-1 victory by junior Nicholas Campbell and junior Nicholas Condos.
Campbell said head coach Michael Leonard has been advising the team to play aggressive points in doubles and play with energy, both of which the team accomplished today according to Campbell.
“Doubles is quite different from singles, you’ve got to bring the energy, you’ve got to attack and I think we did a very good job,” Campbell said. “That’s what coach has been asking from us, to attack, attack, attack, be aggressive and put pressure on your opponents and it’s been paying off recently.”
Sophomore Daniel Martin put Elon ahead 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-1 victory in the number three singles position. Campbell followed suit with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the number two spot and Ponce clinched the match for Elon with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the number four position.
Leonard said Elon’s top four singles players set the tone in their matches by getting off to early leads.
“They just feed off each other,” Leonard said. “When you’re playing these tournaments, you’ve got to be focused on your score but you can also feed off each other.”
All matches in the event will be played at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, Elon’s home venue. Campbell said the support from the home crowd was much appreciated.
“Having the fans out here, I thank all of them for coming out because they make it special for us,” Campbell said. “When it comes to a conference tournament like this and you have your parents, your friends, alumni coming in, it’s everything we could ask for.”
Elon will face the top seeded William & Mary Tribe in the semifinals at 11 a.m. tomorrow. William & Mary defeated Elon 7-0 on Feb. 6 in a match played indoors in Williamsburg, Virginia. Leonard said the Tribe are a tough matchup, but believes Elon has a better chance of beating William & Mary on outdoor courts than indoors.
“We feel like we’re the better team outside than indoors,” Leonard said. “They’re really good in doubles so that’s going to be a big point. We know we’ve got to play well because they’re a good team but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”