Men's Tennis | 2/28/2015 9:13:00 AM

Stockton, Calif.- On Friday night, the Dons took the semifinals over Fresno State in an epic match of 4-3, advancing to the finals at the UOP Invitational.
 
Summing up the match student-athlete Johan Samuelsson stated, "This match was beautiful because you could see the guys putting their hearts into each match for the win."
 
The match started with Fresno State on top, after taking two of the three matches against USF. The Dons then relied on singles play in order to take the match from the Bulldogs.
 
Vasco Valverde got the Dons off to a great start defeating Nikolas Papic in a solid two set match, 6-1, 6-3. After falling to Fresno State in No. 6 singles, Bernardo Saraiva took back the momentum, serving up a 6-2, 6-4 match against Fresno's No. 1 singles, Euan McIntosh, giving USF a 2-1 lead.
 
Thomas Takemoto, James Tallman and Nils Skajaa all went into a third set. Tallman who was down 2-6, in his first set, pushed through to win his next two sets 6-1, 7-5 and tied up the match 3-3. After Takemoto losing his rigorous three set match, it was up to Skajaa to clinch the match for USF.
 
Skajaa dug deep to finish the match. With the score in the first two sets 3-6, 6-7 (5), and play in the third set tied at 3-3, Skajaa persevered to break at 4-3 and then served it out at 6-3 to claim the match.

The Dons will take on New Mexico in the finals at 9 a.m. on Sunday at the Hal Nelson Tennis Courts.
  

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USF 4, Fresno State 3.
 
Singles | Order to Finish: 5,6,1,3,4,2
 
No. 1 Bernardo Saraiva (USF) def. Euan McIntosh (Fresno St.); 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 Nils Skajaa (USF) def. Adam Glynn (Fresno St.); 3-6, 6-7, (5), 6-3
No. 3 James Tallman (USF) def. Sai Kartik Nakireddi (Fresno St); 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
No. 4 Joshua Zeoli (Fresno St.) def. Thomas Takemoto (USF); 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
No. 5 Vasco Valverde (USF) def. Nikolas Papic (Fresno St.); 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 Alexandros Georgios Vakouftsis (Fresno St.) def. Christian Brockstedt (USF); 6-1, 6-3
 
Doubles | Order to Finish: 3,2
 
No. 1 Saraiva/Skajaa (USF) vs. McIntosh/Glynn (Fresno St.); 5-3 DNF
No. 2 Zeoli/Hassan (Fresno St.) def. Brockstedt/Santiago (USF); 6-3
No. 3 Kartic/Papic (Fresno St.) def.  Valverde/Takemoto (USF); 6-2