MEN’S TENNIS

The No. 1 seed Huntington men’s tennis team saw its bid for a Crossroads League tournament title come to a close Saturday afternoon, falling to No. 2 Grace College, 4-2, in the championship match at IWU’s Sutter Tennis Center.

In the clinch-format finals, the Foresters came out competitive in doubles play, with Julian Tantera and Javier Lopez Real earning a 6–3 victory at No. 1. However, Grace responded with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 to secure the doubles point and take early control of the match.

Huntington continued to battle in singles, highlighted by a dominant 6–1, 6–0 performance from Santiago Sarudiansky at No. 3. Mateo Batista also delivered a strong showing at No. 5, earning a 6–1, 6–3 win. Despite those efforts, Grace capitalized across the remaining courts to secure the necessary points and clinch the team victory with their fourth point coming at No. 6 singles.

Several matches remained tightly contested, including a back-and-forth battle at No. 1 singles where Julian Tantera led 7–5, 5–6 before the match was halted.

With the result, Huntington finishes as the Crossroads League tournament runner-up, marking its third championship appearance in the last four seasons. The Foresters continue to establish themselves as one of the conference’s most consistent programs and will now turn their attention to the national picture.

Huntington (20-4), ranked 10th in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Poll, will await its postseason fate as the NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship selection show is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, at 4:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on the NAIA YouTube page. The Foresters will look to earn an at-large bid into the national tournament field for the second straight year.

SINGLES RECAP
1. Julian Tantera (HU) vs. Andreas Polichronopoulos (GrC) 7-5, 5-6 DNF
2. Benjamin Rahine (GrC) def. Martin Capdevilla (HU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Santiago Sarudiansky (HU) def. Aurelien Coan (GrC) 6-1, 6-0
4. Manuel Marques (GrC) def. Javier Lopez Real (HU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Mateo Batista (HU) def. Stergios Papadoloulos (GrC) 6-1, 6-3
6. Mahefa Rakotomalala (GrC) def. Juan Carrasco (HU) 6-4, 6-4

DOUBLES RECAP
1. Tantera/Javier Lopez Real (HU) def. Rahine/Rakotomalala (GrC) 6-3
2. Papadoloulos/Coan (GrC) def. Pablo Lopez Real/Capdevilla (HU) 6-2
3. Polichronopoulos/Marques (GrC) def. Carrasco/Batista (HU) 6-3