Elon University men’s tennis showed out in its semifinal game versus Monmouth University in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament on April 26, winning 4-2. The Phoenix came in hot, having an 8-2 record in its last 10 games. First-year Elon head coach Maciek Sykut led Elon to a No. 2 seed, which he said was pivotal.
“Part of our success was being able to gain the number two seed,” Sykut said. “It put us in a good position for today.”
The day opened with doubles matches, which have not been Elon’s strength throughout the season. The team entered with a 19-21 doubles record on the year.
However, the No. 3 doubles pairing of freshman Charles Pilet and senior Juan Sengariz set a different tone. The two jumped out to an early 3-1 lead. Consistent shots and lengthy rallies defined the match, with the pair never seeming to lose their cool. Sykut said it was a great way to start the day.
“I think it was one of our best doubles showings of the year,” Sykut said. “We had a pretty great effort up and down the line.”
While Pilet and Sengariz cruised to a 6-2 victory, it was a battle on the other two courts.
The No. 1 doubles pairing of juniors Veljko Krstic and Oskar Antinheimo played ferociously at the net, using a serve-and-volley strategy to attack their opponents. Their aggression proved effective on their service points, but an inability to break Monmouth’s serves would leave them down 5-6.
At the same time, the No. 2 doubles pairing of freshman Rafael Ymer and sophomore Jack Curtis was losing hold of a solid lead. After turning a 0-2 deficit into a 5-2 advantage, Monmouth fought back to make it 5-4.
That’s when Cutris, who spent most of the match sitting at the baseline, jumped on a weak cross-court shot to smash a powerful volley. The shot clinched the No. 2 match 6-4 and earned Elon a doubles victory.
“It was great to get the doubles win,” Curtis said. “Then we needed to carry it into singles.”
Elon entered its singles play needing three wins to seal a ticket to the CAA Championship game.
It was Pilet at No. 5 singles who got the Phoenix going. The freshman pounced on an opponent who struggled to get shots deep in the court, pushing him onto his back foot. He took the first set 6-3.
“Charles is a guy who can play for a really long time,” Sykut said. “Today, he was super efficient, and that’s what we needed.”
As the match continued, Pilet mixed in crafty drop shots to counter his typical topspin-heavy forehands. He was Elon’s first player to finish singles, winning the second set 6-2. At No. 1, Krstic was not far behind.
Krstic opened his singles play with a rocketing serve out wide. He rushed to the net, winning on an overhead slam that bounced over the fence. His hard, flat shots overwhelmed his opponent. Despite an early 0-3 deficit in the second set, he won the match 6-1, 6-4.
“Vejlko and Charles getting off the court quickly was really important,” Sykut said. “I think they sent a message to both teams.”
With two singles wins, Elon needed only one more victory. Ymer lost 5-7 and 4-6. Antinheimo lost his first set as well.
It was Curtis who would step up, but it did not come easily. He dropped the first set 2-6.
“It was quite depressing losing the first set,” Curtis said. “I just had to go back to the basics. If you can do the basic stuff right, you can build on it from there.”
After the early deficit, Curtis fought back to take the second set 6-4. By the third, he was in complete rhythm, relying on shots with pace and forced errors from his opponent to grasp a 6-1 win.
The Phoenix rushed to celebrate with Curtis as he sealed its fourth straight appearance in the CAA Championship game.
“Being able to bounce back and play some much better tennis felt amazing,” Curtis said. “It’s hard not to watch the scoreboard. So I knew if I won, we would go to the championship. It was great.”
The 4-1 win over Monmouth earned Skyut his first bid to the CAA Championship game.
“The big goal for the year was to play for championships,” Sykut said. “You have to get there to do that. I’d say the job’s not done yet, but we’re thrilled to be playing in another CAA Championship.”
Elon will now play three-time defending champion University of North Carolina, Wilmington tomorrow, whom it has lost to in the CAA Championship game the last three years in a row. The winner will clinch an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Tournament on May 15.
Sykut said everything is now in the details.
“We probably have minor tweaks that we can make up and down the line,” Sykut. “So, no major changes for tomorrow. As long as we make those small adjustments and perform well, I think we’ve got a great shot.”
The match will begin at 2 p.m. April 27 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
