WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's tennis team got back in the win column, knocking off No. 16 Marian at the Don Cramer Tennis Courts on Tuesday afternoon in a Top-25 showdown. The Lancers picked up their first ranked win of the season with the 5-2 victory.

The Lancers started off the day with momentum. Doubles play was a clean sweep for the home team. Andreas Polichronopoulos and Manual Marques partnered together to go 6-0 at No. 3 doubles. Stergios Papadopoulos and Aurelien Coan secured the first point of the match with a 6-4 showing on court two. Benjamin Rahine and Mahefa Rakotomalala cleaned up the final match with a 7-5 victory.

Manual Marques added Grace's next point from No. 4 singles, going 6-2, 6-2. The Knights, however, were ready for a battle. MU clawed back to draw the match level at two apiece, taking No. 3 and No. 6 singles. 

Grace put it into high gear to finish the match. Benjamin Rahine put the Lancers one point away with his win on court two 7-5, 6-3.

The final two points from singles play needed a tiebreaker to find a winner. Both matches were back and forth with Grace coming out victorious in each.

Andreas Polichronopoulos added the clinching point with his thrilling 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles. In the tiebreaker, he rallied from a 4-1 deficit, winning five-straight sets to win 6-4.

Mahefa Rakotomalala closed out the day with his third-set tiebreaker with a similar scoreline, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. 

Grace will continue league play on Thursday April 9 at the Don Cramer Tennis Courts. First serve against Saint Francis is set for 2 p.m.


DOUBLES 

1. Benjamin Rahine / Mahefa Rakotomalala (GC) def. James Ashworth / Marcos Ramos Cabrera (MU) 7-5
2. Stergios Papadopoulos / Aurelien Coan (GC) def. Mateo Guerin / Juan Garcia-Tunon (MU) 6-4
3. Andreas Polichronopoulos / Manual Marques (GC) def. Iyan Cresens / Marc Soriano (MU) 6-0

SINGLES 

1. Andreas Polichronopoulos (GC) def. James Ashworth (MU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
2. Benjamin Rahine (GC) def. Marc Soriano (MU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Mateo Guerin def. Aurelien Coan (GC) 6-4, 6-3
4. Manual Marques (GC) def. Marcos Ramos Cabrera (MU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Mahefa Rakotomalala (GC) def. Juan Garcia-Tunon (MU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
6. Jan Bartolome (MU) def. Stergios Papadopoulos (GC) 6-4, 6-2