LEXINGTON, Ohio (Feb.  4, 2018) – After a grueling six hours competing against the University of Findlay Oilers, the Salem University Tigers tennis teams gathered around Ivan Arevalo for the last match of the evening at the Lakewood Racquet Club.

With the two teams tied at 4-4, the weary Tigers rushed the courts when Arevalo downed Findlay's Trevor Majdalani, rallying after losing the first set 6-0 to win the next two 7-5 and 7-6 to give the men's team a 5-4 victory; its second in as many days.

 "The team fought so hard today. The guys are starting to come together more and more on and off the court and it showed this evening," Head Coach Todd Tucker said. "NCAA tennis is a team effort and it certainly showed for Salem tonight. They all kept fighting and cheering one another all the way to the finish. This was one of the best NCAA matches I have ever had the pleasure of coaching."

The Tigers jumped out to an early lead after winning two of three doubles matches, with Salem's Patrick Garwacki and Gregor Lanier defeating Jorge Barunuevo and Majdalani 8-1, and the tandem of Arevalo and Landon Shultz-zwar defeating Ivaylo Slavov and Brad Strawser 8-5 after Andrew and Carlos Padilla lost to Findlay's Carlos Blanco and Nick Kopylec 8-1. 

Findlay rebounded to win the first two singles matches. Blanco defeated Andres Padilla in two sets (6-1, 6-1), and Kopylec defeated Carlos Padilla 6-2, 6-1.

Garwacki tied things for Salem with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Barnuevo, but Findlay bounced back when Slavov defeated Lanier in three hard-fought sets. Shultz-zwar then defeated Strawser 7-6, 6-3 to set the stage for Arevalo.

The deciding match lasted 3-and-a-half hours. After losing the first set 6-0, Arevalo battled back from a 4-1 deficit in the second to win 7-6 (9-7). In the third and final set, Arevalo fell behind 5-3 before breaking and holding serve to tie the set at 5-5, leading to a third set tiebreak where Arevalo closed out the match to secure the Tigers' victory.

"I have coached a lot of players in my career and I can honestly say Ivan Arevalo is a true professional. The way he represented Salem University tonight made Tiger nation proud," Tucker said. "Ivan and I have worked together very hard on his singles and doubles and it paid off tonight. In the tennis world, players don't come back from 6-0 or 4-1 unless they are special. Salem is very blessed to have him as a student-athlete. He deserves everything he gets."

The men's team is now 2-0 on the season after testing being pushed to its limits by a deep University of Findlay team.

"Salem was on top of their game tonight," Tucker said. "Coach Linden has put Findlay on the college tennis map over the past few years and his players never quit. We were just fortunate enough to get that final point."

The Tigers will resume play on Friday and Saturday, competing in the University of Charleston Invitational.

Box Score:

Salem 5, Findlay 4

Singles competition

1.     Carlos Blanco (UF) def. Andres Padilla (SU) 6-1 6-1
2.     Nick Kopylec (UF) def. Carlos Padilla (SU) 6-2 6-1
3.     Patryk Garwacki (SU) def. Jorge Barnuevo (UF) 6-1 6-3
4.     Ivaylo Slavov (FU) def. Gregor Lainer (SU) 3-6 6-4 6-4
5.     Ivan Arevalo (SU) def. Trevor Majdalani (FU) 0-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3)
6.     Landon Shultz-zwar (SU) def. Brad Strawser (FU) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

Doubles

1.     Carlos Blanco/ Nick  Kopylec (UF) def. Andres Padilla/ Carlos Padilla (SU) 8-1
2.     Patryk Garwacki/ Gregor Lainer (SU) def. Jorge Barnuevo/ Majdalani (UF) 8-1
3.     Ivan Arevalo/ Landon Shultz-zwar (SU) def. Ivaylo Slavov/ Brad Strawser (UF) 8-5