Gandonou, Mercer Rally Again To Turn Back Queens

Thursday, February 27

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

Queens (N.C.)

Gandonou, Mercer Rally Again To Turn Back Queens

2/27/2025 5:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Queens got a tight victory on Court No. 1 to capture the doubles point and set the early momentum, but Mercer tacked up a quartet of singles wins, including Amen Prince Gandonou's three-set thriller on Court No. 3, to post a 4-2 win over the visiting Royals on Thursday afternoon at the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center.

It was the third home win of the season for the Bears (4-4) who have now registered consecutive victories for the first time this season. Queens (2-7), who tallied a convincing 5-2 home win over UNC Greensboro earlier this season, has now come away empty in its last three outings.

MU's nationally-ranked tandem of senior Marceau Fouilhoux and senior Nemanja Stefanovic toughed out a 6-4 on Court No. 2 to knot up early-afternoon doubles play, but Queens took a 1-0 lead into singles action when Laurenz Blickwede and Gavin Ryan prevailed in a 7-5 victory on Court No. 1.

The momentum quickly turned to Orange & Black after that, however. Tom Hagelauer surrendered just four games at No. 6 singles to get the Bears on the board, and Mercer took the team lead for good with Fouilhoux's 6-4, 6-2 win at Court No. 4 minutes later. Hod'Abalo Isak Padio would then put the hosts on the cusp with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win on Court No. 2.

Jan Montero Diaz set the tone with a dominant 6-0 win in his opening set with Gandonou on Court No. 3, but the MU newcomer never trailed in the second set and knotted things up with a 6-3 score. Diaz took a 2-1 lead in the deciding third set, but Gandonou won two-straight games and rode the momentum the rest of the way out.

Mercer will get a 9-day hiatus from competition before resuming its dual meet schedule on March 8 at Georgia Southern (6-5). Start time has been scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Wallis Tennis Center.