GREENWOOD, S.C. -- The No. 13-ranked Lander men's tennis team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Region Thursday afternoon when the Bearcats defeated No. 23 Augusta State, 5-0, at the Joe Cabri Courts.

In tomorrow's championship match, scheduled for 11 a.m., Lander will face the Francis Marion/Anderson University winner. The regional champion advances to the national tournament.

Lander improves to 18-6 overall, while Augusta State ends the season at 15-10.

In doubles, No. 1 Guilherme Fonseca/Damien Cordesse (LU) def. Igor Vasconcellos/Frederico Mendes, 8-5; No. 2 T.C. Valle/Henrik Willers (LU) def. Arthur Figueiro/Guilherme Ferraz, 8-3; and No. 3 Carlos Benatzky/Andre Ivarsson (LU) def. Sergi Mullor/John Smith, 8-6.

With a 3-0 lead after doubles, Lander needed just victories in two singles matches to claim the win.

Lander's Juan Manrique earned the first singles victory at No. 6 when he defeated ASU's John Smith, 6-3, 6-1. Lander clinched the match when Guilherme Fonseca def. Sergi Mullor, 6-3, 6-3, in No. 1 singles.

NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
May 8, 2008
at Greenwood, S.C.
(Joe Cabri Courts)

Doubles

No. 1 Guilherme Fonseca/Damien Cordesse (LU) def. Igor Vasconcellos/Frederico Mendes, 8-5
No. 2 T.C. Valle/Henrik Willers (LU) def. Arthur Figueiro/Guilherme Ferraz, 8-3
No. 3 Carlos Benatzky/Andre Ivarsson (LU) def. Sergi Mullor/John Smith, 8-6.

Singles

No. 6 Juan Manrique (LU) def.  John Smith (ASU), 6-3, 6-1
No. 1 Guilherme Fonseca (LU) def. Sergi Mullor (ASU) 6-3, 6-3