Mercer Fends Off Chattanooga For First SoCon Victory

Sunday, March 29

Macon, Ga.

11 a.m.

Mercer University

Chattanooga

Mercer Fends Off Chattanooga For First SoCon Victory

3/29/2026 4:22:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Mercer, thrice, rallied from late deficits to sweep through doubles action and broke a 3-3 tie on the team scoreboard with Amen Prince Gandonou's straight-sets triumph at No. 4 singles to take down visiting Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon at the Copelan Tennis Complex.

It was the second win in 48 hours for the Bears (6-11, 1-2 SoCon) who also posted a 4-3 comeback win over visiting UAB on Friday afternoon in Macon. Chattanooga (9-10, 3-2), who had its four-match win streak snapped against nationally-ranked Samford, has now dropped consecutive matches for the first time in three weeks.

The Bears trailed 4-3 at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, but rallied back to win both and clinch the doubles point. Nemanja Stefanovic and Hod'Abalo Stefanovic tacked up three-straight games to down UTC's all-conference tandem of Jakub Jupa and Cortland Grove, 6-4, while MU's Amen Prince Gandonou and Shingo Masuda captured the last two games of a 7-5 decision over Julian Franzmann and Kristof Kincses at No. 2 doubles.

Despite falling on the wrong end of a 4-2 deficit at No. 3 doubles, Howell Burns and Esteban Davila Gasser made it a clean sweep for the hosts on the shoulders of an 8-6 tiebreaker.

Masuda was dominant in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Martin Delnido at No. 3 singles, and Padio followed with a 6-4, 6-4 win on Court No. 2 to give the Bears a 3-0 lead, but UTC did not go away without a fight. TJ Ryerson, Jupa and Kincses all finished off straight-sets wins across the next 20 minutes to even up the match score and put all eyes on Gandonou at No. 4 singles.

The Mercer senior captured the last three games of a 7-5 win in his opening set with Grove, but was unable to hold on to a 5-3 lead in the second set. Regardless, Gandonou was still able to tack up the last three points of a 7-3 tiebreaker to signal a mad rush on to the court by his celebratory teammates.

The Bears will be back in action again on Wednesday when they make the long trek to western North Carolina to battle Southern Conference rival UNC Greensboro (6-11, 2-3). Start time at the UNCG Tennis Courts has been scheduled for noon.