Strong A-10 Finish Highlights Season
April 10, 2008
THAT'S A WRAP - Saint Louis men's tennis enjoyed an impressive conclusion to its 2007-08 season, placing fifth at the Atlantic 10 Championship after entering the 12-team tournament as the No. 10 seed. The Billikens defeated three higher-seeded opponents en route to fifth place. SLU opened with a 4-0 win over No. 7 Saint Joseph's, lost 4-0 to eventual champion Xavier, topped No. 6 Richmond 4-0 and edged No. 4 Duquesne 4-3. Five of the six singles contests in the fifth-place tilt against Duquesne were decided by a super-tiebreaker, and Saint Louis won four of those matches. A STEADY CLIMB - The Billikens have risen five spots since appearing in their first A-10 Championship in 2006. Saint Louis placed 10th that season and followed with a seventh-place performance last year. CLUTCH PERFORMANCES - Senior Paul Feder (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) was the Billikens' leading singles player at the A-10 Championship with a 3-0 record. Feder was 2-0 at No. 6 and 1-0 at No. 5. Senior Marcus Fadul (Campinas, Brazil/Lindenwood Univ.) was 2-0 at No. 4, while sophomore P.J. Hendrie (New Braunfels, Texas/New Braunfels) turned in a 2-1 slate at No. 2. The No. 3 doubles team of Fadul and junior Adam Reeb (Belleville, Ill./Althoff Catholic) posted a 2-1 ledger. LET THE RECORD SPEAK FOR ITSELF - With an 11-10 mark, the Billikens registered a winning record for the first time since the 1996-97 season. In addition, SLU tallied a double-digit victory total for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign. WINNING THE CLOSE ONES - Eight of SLU's 21 matches this season were 4-3 decisions, and the Bills had a 6-2 record in those contests. Saint Louis defeated Creighton, Eastern Illinois, Wright State, Western Illinois, Bradley and Duquesne by a point, while Hawai'i-Hilo and Illinois State nipped the Billikens by the narrowest of margins.
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS - Paul Feder concluded his career ranked among the top 10 on SLU's singles and doubles career victories lists. Feder collected 35 singles wins and 31 doubles wins to rank seventh and ninth, respectively. Junior Sean McManus (Berryton, Kan./Hayden) and seniors Marcus Fadul and Felipe Acosta (Bogota, Colombia/Colegio Andino) moved into the top 20 on SLU's singles and doubles lists. McManus is 11th in singles (32 wins) and tied for 12th in doubles (28), Fadul finished 13th in singles (28) and tied for 15th in doubles (25), and Acosta reached a tie for 17th in singles (21) and 20th in doubles (21). Also finding top-20 positions were junior Matt Gordon (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette), 12th in singles (29), P.J. Hendrie, tied for 15th in doubles (25), and Adam Reeb, 19th in doubles (23). SEASON'S GREETINGS - With 15 singles wins this year, Sean McManus moved into a tie for fourth place on Saint Louis' all-time single-season list. Marcus Fadul tied for fifth on SLU's single-season doubles chart with 16 wins, while McManus and Adam Reeb tied for eighth with 14 doubles wins apiece. LEADERS OF THE PACK - Sean McManus led the Billikens with 15 singles victories, while Paul Feder posted a team-best .609 singles winning percentage (14-9). Marcus Fadul was the Bills' leader in doubles wins with 16, and Adam Reeb was the pacesetter in doubles winning percentage with a .700 mark (14-6). GETTING THEIR KICKS AT NO. 6 - The No. 6 position produced the most success for the Billikens' singles effort this spring. SLU competitors were 13-7 at No. 6, led by Paul Feder's 8-3 slate. NO. 3 IN THE LINEUP, NO. 1 IN YOUR HEART - The No. 3 doubles team of Marcus Fadul and Adam Reeb registered the Bills' best record this season, posting an 11-5 mark. |
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