Florida Gulf Coast Rallies To Top Visiting Bears

Wednesday, March 4

Fort Myers, Fla.

Noon

Mercer University

Florida Gulf Coast

Florida Gulf Coast Rallies To Top Visiting Bears

3/4/2026 4:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Visiting Mercer grabbed the early doubles point, as well as a pair of straight-sets singles victories, to forge a 3-1 lead on the team scoreboard, but Florida Gulf Coast tacked up the final three points of the afternoon to fend off the Bears, 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex.

The setback snapped a three-match win streak for the Orange & Black (3-6) who fell to 0-4 away from Macon this season with the result, while also dropping its third-straight decision to Florida-based teams. Florida Gulf Coast (5-8) stretched its win streak out to four matches with the triumph, while also improving to 8-4 in the 18-year-old series with MU.

Seniors Hod'Abalo Isak Padio and Nemanja Stefanovic got things started for Mercer with a 6-4 victory in the featured doubles match, and the Bears took an early 1-0 lead minutes later when Amen Prince Gandonou and Shingo Masuda finished off Mika Bunjes/Gustav Hasslegren at No. 2 doubles.

Padio made quick work of Tanner Povey, 6-4, 6-1, in the featured singles matchup, but Stefan Correa got the Eagles on the board on Court No. 5 with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Gandonou. Stefanovic struck again minutes later, however, when he gave the Bears a two-point lead once again with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Stavros Hadjivarnava at No. 2 singles.

FGCU put its rally in motion after that. CJ Smith notched a team point thanks to a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win at No. 6 singles, and Hasslegren shook off a second-set loss to Masuda on Court no. 4 with a 6-3 win in the deciding third set.

Alex Aldaz gave Bunjes all he could handle at No. 3 singles, but the FGCU junior was still able to post a match-clinching victory in straight sets, 7-6 (7-0) and 7-6 (7-4).

The Bears will continue their five-match stretch away from home on Thursday when they battle St. John's (8-1) in a neutral site contest at the FGCU Tennis Complex. First serves are scheduled for 1 p.m.