Top Five Flashback: Men's Tennis #1 (March 25, 2015)
Top Five Flashback
Men's Tennis #1 - Lawlor digs out three-set win to lift Salve Regina, 5-4 (March 25, 2015)
NEWPORT, R.I. - Freshman Jack Lawlor (York, Maine) rallied from down a set, won a second-set tiebreak, and dug out of a 4-1 hole in the third set to claim the clinching victory in Salve Regina University men's tennis match against Emerson College at the Leroy Avenue courts.
The Lions had staked out a 2-1 lead after doubles. Joshua Freud and Spencer Sabo earned the first point with an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles over Salve Regina seniors and co-captains Monaf Awwa (Old Lyme, Conn.) and Matthew Carroll (Hackensack, N.J.). The Seahawks evened the score with sophomore Ben Campbell (Carolina, R.I.), playing in his first collegiate match, and junior Matt Gingras (Wethersfield, Conn.) scoring an 8-5 decision at No. 3 doubles.
Junior Nik Rhodes (Great Barington, R.I.) paired with Matt Jenkins at No. 1 doubles and the pair built a 7-4 lead on Lawlor and his partner and classmate, Donovan Gangewere (Exton, Pa.). The Seahawk freshmen rallied for two quick games and won the first two points of the 14th game, but the Lions prevailed, 8-6.
Emerson (0-1) stretched its lead to 3-1 when Freud caused Carroll to slip at No. 3 singles. The Seahawks quickly got on top, 4-3, with straight-set singles wins from Nos. 4-6. Awwa was followed by freshmen Will Masse (Wyoming, R.I.) and Kevin Brocks (West Sand Lake, N.J.) - the trio combined to drop just two games in three singles victories.
That left the outcome of the match on the upper two courts. Gangewere battled Rhodes at No. 1 singles, losing in a tiebreak first set and then 6-4 in the second set.
Temperature dipped below 40 degrees and darkness was creeping as Lawlor jumped out to a 3-0 lead in his second-set tiebreak. Lawlor and Jenkins changed ends at 4-2 in the tiebreak, before the Seahawk freshman won the final three points.
Serving to start the final set, Lawlor won at love and then took the first point off Jenkins' serve in the next game. Jenkins settled down and took that service game after a couple of deuce point exchanges. Jenkins then broke serve, held his own, broke again and had a 4-1 lead on the next changeover.
Lawlor, in shorts for the entire match, began reaching and rubbing his lower legs to improve circulation and warmth. Jenkins, in long pants for the entire match, had a couple of opportunities to go up, 5-1, but Lawlor broke to stay in the match. Lawlor won the final five games with only two of those games reaching deuce point.
On match point, after slicing a backhand return of serve, Lawlor floated three forehands before drawing an unforced error into the net from Jenkins.
"He (Lawlor) mixed in a lot of slice and topspin backhands, along with a tremendous amount of composure," said second-year Seahawk head coach Cory Tusler. "No matter if you have a bad day, you can never let down. Momentum was so important. You're up, you play smart; you're down, you play aggressive."
Tusler added when talking about the pressure of competing in a match-deciding third set: "We're building diamonds, not bursting pipes."
Salve Regina (1-6) wins its first match of 2014-15 before facing the three-time Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champion Nichols College on Saturday.