Mercer Tandem Falls In Finals Of ITA Masters Qualifier

Friday, October 24

Chattanooga, Tenn.

All Day

Mercer University

UTC Steve Baras Invite

Mercer Tandem Falls In Finals Of ITA Masters Qualifier

10/26/2025 9:48:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis

ITA Results

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Mercer's top-seeded duo of seniors Hod'Abalo Isak Padio and Nemanja Stefanovic cruised through the first two rounds of the SoCon doubles draw at the UTC Steve Baras Invite on Friday and Saturday, but had their championship run stalled with an 8-4 setback to East Tennessee State's Oscar Martinez and Martin Vergara Del Puerto.

The duo's run highlighted the weekend for the Bears at the qualifier event for next month's ITA Conference Masters Championships in San Diego, Calif.

Padio registered the best singles showing for the men at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn., including a pair of thrilling three-set triumphs. The Togo native used a 12-10 superset to oust Wofford's Daniel Clivio in his opener on Friday, and then got the better end of a 19-17 superset to take down Chattanooga's Julian Franzmann. He was ultimately felled in the semifinals with a straight-sets loss to Vergara Del Puerto.

Marina de Diego Quinones highlighted action for Mercer's women's team with a 6-2, 6-2 win over East Tennessee State's Alessandra Caceres in her opening match of the SoCon singles draw on Friday before falling in the quarterfinals. She also picked up a pair of wins in the consolation bracket.

Both Mercer squads will close out the fall portion of their 2025-26 schedules over the next couple of weeks. The men's team is scheduled to compete at the Wofford College Clash, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, at the Reeves Tennis Center. The Mercer women will trek to Greenville, Nov. 7-9, for the Wofford Invite at the same facility.

UTC Steve Baras Invite (Mercer Results)
Singles Competition
Hod'Abalo Isak Padio (Mercer) def. Daniel Clivio (Wofford) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (12-10) Hod'Abalo Isak Padio (Mercer) def. Julian Franzmann (The Citadel) 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (19-17) Martin Del Puerto Vergara (East Tennessee State) def. Hod'Abalo Isak Padio (Mercer) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) Martin Delnido (Chattanooga) def. Nemanja Stefanovic (Mercer) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) Nemanja Stefanovic (Mercer) def. Jack Deveney (Wofford) 6-2, 6-3 Nicholas Snyder (Furman) def. Nemanja Stefanovic (Mercer) 6-4, 6-1 Marina de Diego Quinones (Mercer) def. Alessandra Caceres (East Tennessee State) 6-2, 6-2 Addison Iacono (Chattanooga) def. Marina de Diego Quinones (Mercer) 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 Marina de Diego Quinones (Mercer) Chloe Elliott (Wofford) 7-5, 6-3 Marina de Diego Quinones (Mercer) def. Rufaro Magarira (Chattanooga) 6-2, 6-4 Jenelle Roberts (Western Carolina) def. Jelena Gojkovic (Mercer) 6-3, 6-4 Ella Mancuso (Chattanooga) def. Jelena Gojkovic (Mercer) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (11-9) Keira Stewart (Western Carolina) def. Jelena Gojkovic (Mercer) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4

Doubles Competition
Jenelle Roberts/Keira Stewart (Western Carolina) def. Marina de Diego Quinones/Jelena Gojkovic (Mercer) 8-6 Ella Mancuso/Jordan Fenton (Chattanooga) def. Marina de Diego Quinones/Jelena Gojkovic (Mercer) 8-6 Marina de Diego Quinones/Jelena Gojkovic (Mercer) def. Chloe Elliott/Quinn Bernthal (Wofford) 8-5 Hod'Abalo Isak Padio/Nemanja Stefanovic (Mercer) def. Noah Van Dyke/Brady Gober (The Citadel) 8-1 Hod'Abalo Isak Padio/Nemanja Stefanovic (Mercer) def. Julian Franzmann/Kristof Kincses (Chattanooga) 8-5 Oscar Martinez/Martin Vergara Del Puerto (East Tennessee State) def. Hod'Abalo Isak Padio/Nemanja Stefanovic (Mercer) 8-4