Falentin Clinches Match For Bears Over Alabama State

Tuesday, March 19

Montgomery, Ala.

Noon

Mercer University

Alabama State

Falentin Clinches Match For Bears Over Alabama State

3/19/2024 7:05:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Despite facing three match points in the match deciding set, the Mercer women's tennis team prevailed in a 4-3 win over Alabama State on Tuesday afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama.

With the score tied 3-3, Mercer's Lea Falentin and Alabama State's Sahra Bouchaala went three sets with Bouchaala leading 6-5 in the third set and had three match points leading 40-15 in the game. However, Falentin held off all three match points to win the game and force a third set tiebreaker. Falentin went on to win the tiebreaker 7-5 to clinch the match for the Bears.

Alabama State has had tremendous success in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference (SWAC). The Hornets have won the SWAC 10 of the last 11 years and entered Tuesday's match with a 10-5 overall record and a perfect 7-0 record in conference matches.

The Bears pushed through for the win despite Marina de Diego Quinones having to retire due to injury in her singles match.

Mercer started the day strong by winning all three doubles matches. First, Teodora Ristic and de Diego Quinones defeated Alabama State's, Lizaveta Demchenko and Sahra Bouchaala, 6-3.

Mariella Minetti and Tea Zivic won 6-2 over Carmelle Vial and Timothee Legaud of Alabama State to win the doubles point for the Bears. Lea Falentin and Emilia Cosatto also won their doubles match over Alabama State's Bea Francesca Acena and Madalena Andrade, 6-2.

Over in singles action, Mariella Minetti was excellent in her 6-1, 6-0 win over the Hornets' Carmelle Vial. Teodora Ristic also had a strong showing in a 6-1, 6-1 win over Lizaveta Demchenko of Alabama State.

With the Bears leading 3-0 and one point away from clinching the match, Alabama State fought back on the other four courts. Alabama State's Timothee Legaud defeated Tea Zivic, 6-0, 6-3 for the Hornets first point. The match on court five between Bea Francesca Acena of Alabama State and Emilia Cosatto went three sets with Francesca Acena defeating Cosatto, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.

The match on court three between Alabama State's Madalena Andrade and Marina de Diego Quinones was turning out to be a highly competitive match as the first set went to a tiebreaker which Andrade won 7-6 (4). In the second set, de Diego Quinones led 5-3 but unfortunately had to retire due to injury.

The point for the Hornets tied the match at three and meant it was up to Lea Falentin to win the match for the Bears. In a great match against Alabama State's Sahra Bouchaala, Falentin fought off three match points for Bouchaala to win the match for Mercer, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Mercer will be back in action this Thursday at 3 p.m. as ETSU comes to Macon in a SoCon matchup.