2024 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship Semifinal Recap
MOBILE, Ala. – After a brief weather delay kicked off Friday’s action, the 2024 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship match is set following the semifinal round at the Mobile Tennis Center, with the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds of this year’s tournament field advancing to the finals.
The championship final scheduled for Saturday features the top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies and the third-seeded Keiser (Fla.) Seahawks, marking the fourth time in the last five seasons the two programs have met for the national championship trophy in men’s tennis. Saturday’s championship final is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. CT in Mobile, Ala.
Game Notes & Highlights
- (1) Georgia Gwinnett advances to the championship for the 10th-straight year, in hopes of a 10-peat of claiming the elusive NAIA Red Banner.
- The Grizzlies and (4) Northwestern Ohio battled in a highly-contested doubles portion of the match to begin play, with the Racers of UNOH putting Georgia Gwinnett on upset alert by claiming the all-important doubles point to open the semifinals
- UNOH’s Mathieu Strauss and Nils Messin clinched doubles with a 6-4 win from the third flight in the lineup.
- Georgia Gwinnett responded, however, earning wins from No. 1, 4, 5 and 6 singles to eventually win the match, 4-2. UNOH’s other point in the loss came from No. 3 singles that put the Racers up 2-0 at the time.
- (2) Tennessee Wesleyan and (3) Keiser (Fla.) kept the trend of competitive doubles action rolling on Friday, with Keiser (Fla.) winning the doubles point in tiebreaker fashion in the deciding doubles match.
- The Seahawks’ No. 1 doubles pair of Soufiane El Mesbahi and Didrik Liljekvist clinched the point with a 7-6 (7-2) win.
- In singles play, KU rolled with wins across the middle of the lineup, picking up victories in No. 4, 5, and 6 singles to secure the shutout.
- Prior to the match being clinched, TWU led in each of the top two seeds of singles play.
- Keiser (Fla.) eliminates the No. 2 seed of the Tennessee Wesleyan for the second time in three seasons, while on its way to another national title final.
- The 2024 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship match is scheduled for Saturday morning at the Mobile Tennis Center, weather permitting.