Bolema has singles upset, Lions fall to Toppers

March 1, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

NEW ALBANY, Miss. — The Freed-Hardeman University Lions dropped a close meeting with the Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) Toppers on Tuesday afternoon. After winning a pair of singles matches, FHU fell 5-2 to the Toppers.

Theo Devals and Aleksa Pesic drew Court 1 for the Lions (2-1) in doubles, falling 6-2 to the ITA South Region's No. 10 pair of Justin van Amerongen and Rick Sakamoto. Merlin Bolema and Maxime Guyon teamed up to go wire-to-wire with Danko Yordanov and Axel Spurling, ultimately dropping the match 7-6. With the doubles point clinched, BMCU's Marco Inga and Victor Lopez bested Caden Arnold and Nolan Laduree.

FHU picked up a pair of big singles wins, highlighted by Bolema topping the No. 19 singles player in Blue Mountain Christian's (2-2) van Amerongen 7-6 before the latter stormed back with a 6-0 win. Bolema would force extra games in the decisive set, winning the set and match 10-7.

Arnold had a similar turn in his Court 6 match against Lopez, winning the first set 6-2 before falling in the second set 6-3. A 10-7 win in the third set gave FHU their second point.

On Court 4, Aleksa Pesic lost both of his sets to Axel Sperling 7-5 with Laduree falling 6-2, 6-4 to Inga. Guyon lost his singles match 6-3, 6-4 to Yordanov while Devals dropped his match to Sakamoto 6-2, 6-4. 

Freed-Hardeman 2, Blue Mountain Christian University 5

New Albany Courts / New Albany, Miss.

DOUBLES

1. Justin van Amerongen/Rick Sakamoto (BMCU) def. Theo Devals/Aleksa Pesic (FHU) 6-2
2. Danko Yordanov/Axel Sperling (BMCU) def. Merlin Bolema/Maxime Guyon (FHU) 7-6
3. Marco Inga/Victor Lopez (BMCU) def. Caden Arnold/Nolan Laduree (FHU) 6-4

SINGLES

1. Merlin Bolema(FHU) def. No. 19 Justin van Amerongen (BMCU) 7-6, 0-6, 10-7
2. Marco Inga (BMCU) def. Nolan Laduree (FHU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Danko Yordanov (BMCU) def. Maxime Guyon (FHU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Axel Sperling (BMCU) def. Aleksa Pesic (FHU) 7-5, 7-5
5. Rick Sakamoto (BMCU) def. Theo Devals (FHU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Caden Arnold (FHU) def. Victor Lopez (BMCU) 6-2, 3-6, 10-7