CHATTANOOGA --- The fourth-seeded Chattanooga Mocs men's tennis team suffered a 4-0 loss to top-seeded and 69^th ranked ETSU in the 2022 Southern Conference Championship semifinal round held at Champions Club in Chattanooga on Friday afternoon.
 
Following the loss, Chattanooga is eliminated from tournament play and rounds out the year at 8-16. ETSU aims for its fourth-straight tournament title with a matchup against No. 3 Samford tomorrow afternoon and improves to 19-6.
 
"All year long our team has competed hard and today was no different," said head coach Chuck Merzbacher. "ETSU has a talented team from top to bottom, but even so, our guys played their games and just came up short."
 
The Bucs grabbed the doubles point after beginning the match with a 6-0 blanking in the No. 2 hole. The top UTC tandem of Tomas Rodriguez and Peyton Gatti held at a 5-3 lead at No. 1 but was left unfinished after a 6-4 ETSU decision at No. 3.
 
After ETSU grabbed a pair of quick wins at No. 5 and No. 6 and led 3-0, Chattanooga found some momentum and nearly sent all the remaining matches to a deciding third set. Rodriguez was in control at center court (6-2, 2-6, 1-2) after dropping the first set, while Gatti was battling in a third set and Simon Labbe was down just 5-4 in the second after a 7-5 opening set loss.
 
The deciding match came at No. 2 after Kerim Hyatt dropped a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 match. Hyatt led for much of the second set before seeing a late charge from Yusuf Khamis.
 
"We really finished strong this year and I give these kids credit for battling through such a tough schedule – it paid off as we entered SoCon play," added Merzbacher.
 
#69 ETSU 4, Chattanooga 0
4/22/2022 at Chattanooga, Tenn. (Champions Club)
SINGLES
1. Dimitri Badra (ETSU) vs. Tomas Rodriguez (UTC) 6-2, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
2. Yusuf Khamis (ETSU) def. Kerim Hyatt (UTC) 6-3, 7-5
3. Frazier Rengifo (ETSU) vs. Simon Labbe (UTC) 7-5, 5-4, unfinished
4. Hugo Lobo (ETSU) vs. Peyton Gatti (UTC) 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 2-1, unfinished
5. Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Jordan McClure (UTC) 6-1, 6-2
6. Francisco Lamas (ETSU) def. Ryan Mudre (UTC) 6-4, 6-3
 
DOUBLES
1. Frazier Rengifo/Juan S. Zabala (ETSU) vs. Tomas Rodriguez/Peyton Gatti (UTC) 3-5, unfinished
2. Dimitri Badra/Francisco Lamas (ETSU) def. Kerim Hyatt/Kaisei Kuroki (UTC) 6-0
3. Yusuf Khamis/Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Simon Labbe/Jordan McClure (UTC) 6-4
 
MATCH NOTES
Chattanooga 8-16
ETSU 19-6; National ranking #69
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,6,2)

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