LINDSBORG, Kan. -- Facing a 3-2 deficit late in singles play, the John Brown University men's tennis team rallied behind stellar performances from junior Jonathan Hillock and freshman Lucas Machado to complete a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Bethany (Kan.) on Friday afternoon (March 7) at the Dr. Emory Lindquist Tennis Center.
John Brown (5-5) opened the match with a convincing win at No. 3 doubles, as Hillock and sophomore Andrew Aylor cruised to a 6-1 victory. However, Bethany (1-1) responded with tight wins at the top two flights to claim the doubles point. At the top flight, junior Spencer Keeter and sophomore Brady Dick suffered a narrow 7-6 (7-4) loss before sophomore Negad Ezzat and freshman Lucas Machado fell in a tiebreak, 7-6 (7-2) at the middle spot, clinching the 1-0 lead for the Swedes.
Keeter, now 9-1 in singles action, set the tone in singles play with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win over Martin Priban at the second slot, leveling the match at 1-1. Ezzat then battled past Francisco Bravo in a third-set super tiebreak, 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 10-8, giving JBU its first lead of the day. Bethany swung the momentum back in its favor with back-to-back three-set victories at No. 5 and No. 3, regaining a 3-2 advantage. Hayes Stark fell in a tight 3-6, 6-4, 10-12 decision at No. 5, while Dick dropped a heartbreaking 6-1, 5-7, 8-10 result at the third flight.
Needing wins at the final two spots, John Brown found its answer. Hillock delivered a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win over Pedro Melo at No. 6 singles, pulling JBU level at 3-3. That set the stage for Machado, who sealed the victory with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win over Dylan Gwilt at the fourth flight, completing the Golden Eagles' comeback after Bethany bested JBU just one week prior, 5-2.
"Today was a huge win," head coach Mike Campbell noted. "It could not have been closer, but we battled in a tight match, nearly took the doubles point, and then had to win four of six singles matches to clinch the victory — and we did exactly that. We're looking forward to a big day tomorrow."
John Brown continues its return to Kansas with a pair of contests on Saturday (March 8) afternoon, facing Tabor (Kan.) in Hillsboro at 9 a.m. before taking on Friends (Kan.) at the Riverside Tennis Center in Wichita.
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