No. 1 Pirates Notch 5-0 Win Over No. 20 Lander

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The top-ranked and defending DII national champion Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis squad began the road back to the NCAA DII Men's Tennis National Championship with a 5-0 win over No. 20-ranked Lander on Friday evening in Savannah.

The Pirates (25-1) advanced to the Southeast Region final, where they will face No. 5-ranked USC Aiken at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Lander (9-9) sees its season come to an end, falling to 45-9 all-time in NCAA Tournament history.

AASU swept all three doubles matches, giving up just five games in the process, to take a commanding 3-0 lead. The tenth-ranked duo of Rafael Array and Tim Johannsen notched an 8-4 win over TC Valle and Sheharyar Wali at No. 1 doubles, while Eudaldo Bonet and Akos Torok collected an 8-1 win over Damien Cordesse and Juan Manrique at No. 2 doubles. Mikk Irdoja and Paul Fitzgerald completed the doubles sweep with an 8-0 win over Gary Bertoldo and Levan Clark.

The Pirates won five of the first six sets in singles, then closed out the match behind Array, who delivered a 6-1, 6-1 win over Manrique at No. 4 singles and Johannsen, who closed out Carlos Marques, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 5 singles.

Lander University vs Armstrong Atlantic (May 08, 2009)
#1 Armstrong Atlantic 5, #20 Lander University 0
May 08, 2009 at Savannah, Ga. (AASU Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #1 Eudaldo Bonet (AASU) vs. Levan Clark (LU) 6-3, 0-1, unfinished
2. #25 Mikk Irdoja (AASU) vs. #42 Sheharyar Wali (LU) 6-3, 5-0, unfinished
3. Paul Fitzgerald (AASU) vs. TC Valle (LU) 6-3, 1-0, unfinished
4. Rafael Array (AASU) def. Juan Manrique (LU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Tim Johannsen (AASU) def. Carlos Marques (LU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Akos Torok (AASU) vs. Max Desmars (LU) 4-6, 1-0, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. #10 Rafael Array/Tim Johannsen (AASU) def. TC Valle/Sheharyar Wali (LU) 8-4
2. Eudaldo Bonet/Akos Torok (AASU) def. Damien Cordesse/Juan Manrique (LU) 8-1
3. Mikk Irdoja/Paul Fitzgerald (AASU) def. Gary Bertoldo/Levan Clark (LU) 8-0

Match Notes
Lander University 9-9; National ranking #20
Armstrong Atlantic 25-1; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,5)
2009 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Southeast Regional - Round 2
AASU advances to face USC Aiken in region final on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
T-2:31 A-50