Bears Rally To Topple North Florida For First Time In Program History

Sunday, February 23

Macon, Ga.

1 p.m.

Mercer University

North Florida

Bears Rally To Topple North Florida For First Time In Program History

2/23/2025 5:39:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Newcomer Amen Prince Gandonou rallied all the way back from a 5-3 deficit to capture a deciding third set and cap a monumental comeback effort for the Bears that gave them their first win over North Florida in program history on Sunday afternoon at the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center.

It was the second win in the last three home matches for the Orange & Black (3-4) who trailed 3-2 on the team scoreboard before tacking up singles victories on Court Nos. 1 and 3 to conclude the afternoon. Mercer improved to 1-10 all-time in the series with the Ospreys (2-11) who captured the Atlantic Sun Conference championship last season on the way to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Gandonou toughed out a 7-5 tiebreaker in his opening set with Jean Deloziere, but the UNF rookie answered back with a 6-3 win in the second set to force the match-deciding tiebreaker. Deloziere won two-straight games to forge a 5-3 lead in third set, but Gandonou turned the table by capturing four-straight games to signal a celebration.

Lorenzo Messina rebounded from an opening-set loss to Mercer's Shingo Masuda on Court No. 5, but gave the Ospreys a 3-2 lead on the team scoreboard with 6-2 and 6-3 triumphs in the second and third sets, respectively. Junior Nemanja Stefanovic answered the call in the marquee singles match, however, by taking up a 6-3 victory in the deciding third set at No. 1 singles.

MU threw the first team point up on the board by logging a pair of doubles wins early in the afternoon. Gandonou and tandem mate Hod' Abalo Isak Padio won a 6-2 decision on Court No. 1, while the 90^th-ranked duo of Stefanovic and senior Marceau Fouilhoux topped UNF's Chase Healey and Joao Portugal by a 6-4 count.

Padio finished off a perfect day on the court in singles play with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Bruno Vietri on Court No. 2.

The Bears will close out a two-match home stand on Thursday when they lace up to tangle with Queens (2-6) in a 2:30 p.m. matchup at the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center. Admission to all 2024-25 Mercer tennis matches is free.