Mercer Succumbs To Red-Hot East Tennessee State

Friday, March 13

Johnson City, Tenn.

11 a.m.

Mercer University

#68 East Tennessee State

Mercer Succumbs To Red-Hot East Tennessee State

3/13/2026 6:48:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Senior Nemanja Stefanovic battled back from an opening-set loss to deliver Mercer a much-needed team point, but red-hot East Tennessee State owned the rest of the afternoon on the way to a 6-1 victory over the Bears on Friday at the Dave Mullins Tennis Complex.

It put a damper on the Southern Conference opener for the Bears (4-8, 0-1 SoCon) who were also playing the fourth leg of a five-match stretch away from home. East Tennessee State (12-3, 2-0) ran its win streak out to 12 matches with the decision, while also improving to 6-0 at home this season.

The Buccaneers jumped on the scoreboard early with a pair of triumphs in doubles play. Juan Listo and James Sim knocked off Alex Aldaz and Esteban Davilla Gasser, 6-4, on Court No. 3, but the Orange & Black answered quickly with a tiebreak victory by Amen Prince Gandonou and Shingo Masuda at No. 2 doubles.

ETSU took the early 1-0 lead a few minutes later, however, when Oscar Martinez and Martin Vergara finished off a back-and-forth 7-5 win over Hod'Abalo Isak Padio and Stefanovic in the featured doubles tilt.

Martinez tacked up the first of three straight-sets victories to open up singles play and clinch the team outcome for the Bucs who added a pair of three-set singles wins to push their lead out to 6-0 on the team scoreboard. Stefanovic gave the Orange & Black a win going away at No. 2 singles, however, battling back from a 6-4 setback in the opening set to oust Vergara with a 6-3 triumph in the second set and a 7-6 (7-4) win in the third frame.

The Bears will close out their long stretch away from home on Sunday when they make the short hop over to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on Southeastern Conference foe Tennessee (7-10). Start time has been scheduled for 4 p.m. ET at UT's Barksdale Stadium.