Bears Play Loud In Loss At No. 22 Florida State

Sunday, January 11

Tallahassee, Fla.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

#22 Florida State

Bears Play Loud In Loss At No. 22 Florida State

1/11/2026 8:14:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Home-standing and 22^nd-ranked Florida State came out on the better end of a trio of three-set singles victories and used the momentum of a pair of early doubles triumphs to hold off a pesky Mercer squad with a 7-0 victory over the Bears on Sunday evening.

The setback put a bad taste on the spring opener for Mercer (0-1) who returned five starters to its singles lineup, while also returning 83 percent of its doubles personnel. It was the second win of the day for the Seminoles (2-0) who registered a trio of straight-sets singles victories amid a 4-0 shutout of Troy earlier Sunday.

Florida State used 6-3 victories at both Nos. 2 and 3 doubles to pick up the early doubles point, while the marquee tilt on Court No. 1 remained unfinished. FSU's 82^nd-ranked duo of Azariah Rusher and Mohammad Alkotop took care of business on Court No. 2, while Justin Lyons/Jan Sebesta came away victorious on the last court.

The No. 1 doubles tilt offered all of the flair it was supposed to give, however. Mercer's Nemanja Stefanovic and Hod'balo Isak Padio forged a quick 4-0 lead in their matchup with the nation's 43^rd-ranked tandem of Luis Felipe Miguel and Erik Schiessl, and then put themselves in a position for an upset win while clinging to a 5-4 match-point advantage. However, the conclusion will remain a mystery as doubles play was halted following the point-clinching decision by Lyons/Sebesta.

Alkotop and Rusher turned in a pair of quick straight-sets wins on Court Nos. 4 and 3, respectively, while Miguel – the nation's 69^th-ranked singles player – used the momentum from a tiebreak win in the opening set to fuel a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 win over Padio in the featured singles matchup that clinched the team win for the Seminoles.

Mercer put Florida State on its heels the rest of the way out, however. Esteban Davila Gasser rallied back from an opening-set loss to Jan Sebesta at No. 6 singles before succumbing with a 6-2 outcome in the third set, while Shingo Masuda won his opening set with Lyons before dropping a pair of 7-5 sets.

Stefanovic went the distance with Corey Craig on Court No. 2 as well, but ultimately fell via a third-set tiebreaker.

The Bears will continue a season-opening three-match road trip on January 18 when they make a return trip to the Sunshine State to take on 14^th-ranked Central Florida (2-0). Start time is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla.