CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The New Orleans Privateers are going to their second consecutive Southland championship match after
Max Heinzel came up with a clutch third set in a 4-3 win over the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday at the Thomas J. Henry Center.
Heinzel and Southland Player of the Year, Max Amling went at it as day turned to night. Heinzel came back from an early deficit to win the first set 7-5. Then it was Amling who flipped the script. He broke through at deuce and went on to win the next two games to take the second set 7-5.
Then it got to a third with both men giving their all. Heinzel found his first service break of the third set to go ahead 4-2. After holding serve, Heinzel clinched the match with a second service break to take the third set 6-2.
New Orleans again had to come back from an early deficit as the Cardinals won the doubles point with victories at flight one (6-2) and flight three (6-3).
The Privateers controlled all the action early in singles though.
Espen Lagarde came roaring back from an early deficit to take the first set 6-4 and turned that into a dominating second set after not dropping a game.
Lilian Dubois also came back from behind early in the first set. His opponent, Max Milic held at deuce to stay in the match but Dubois served out for the 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Karim Al-Amin was also solid in victory. He defeated Filippo Salsini 6-3, 6-3 and closed the match by serving an ace out wide. After all that, the Privateers led 3-1 but Lamar pushed back at flights four and six.
Brandon Do won both sets by a single break in a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Joan Crespo came back from down a set and an early break in the second to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 which tied up the match and set up Heinzel's court as the deciding point.
NEXT UP
The Privateers will face A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow
@PrivateersTN on Twitter,
@PrivateersTN on Instagram, like
Privateers Tennis on Facebook and subscribe to the
UNOPrivateers YouTube channel.
