Syosset, N.Y. - The Adelphi University men's tennis team fell in its spring opener to the Bears of NYIT at Sportime Syosset on Friday afternoon, 8-1. 

Though the Panthers (0-2) managed to post just one point in the match thanks to a win at No.1 doubles behind Matteo Cannavera and Luke Attride-Stirling's 8-6 win, there were tightly contested matches up and down the lineup.  

The Bears, the third-ranked team in the East Region in the latest edition of the Oracle/ITA Division II Rankings, led 2-1 at the close of doubles and swept singles play to secure victory. However, both Cannavera and Attride-Stirling pushed their opponents to three sets in singles, with Cannavera battling Matej Selecky, the 12th-ranked player in the the nation and No.1 in the region, at the top spot before falling 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. 

In addition, freshman Attride-Stirling accounted for himself well in the No.4 spot before being upended in a match tiebreak, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 10-7. Adelphi sophomores Sabin Adrian Saveluc and David Robres de Veciana also battled in a pair of tight two-setters at No.2 and No.3 singles, respectively, with three of the four sets that went in favor of NYIT going to 7-5 scorelines. 

"I am very happy with how the team played today. The work that we put in so far in preseason showed out on the court today regardless of the score, and everybody had very close matches," said head coach Joanna Haich. "I'm proud of the team for conducting themselves with the utmost respect for the game and their opponents in a hard-fought match until the last ball was played."

Adelphi returns to action on March 2, taking on Jefferson University in non-conference action in Philadelphia at 12:30 p.m.

Doubles
1. Matteo Cannavera/Luke Attride-Stirling (ADE) def. Francisco Caldas/Maxton Cook (NYITM) 8-6
2. Rares Ispas/Alexandre Martinez (NYITM) def. David Robres de Veciana/Connor Dove (ADE) 8-4
3. Matej Selecky/Kevin Huynh (NYITM) def. Ilya Kalabukhau/Sabin Adrian Saveluc (ADE) 8-5

Singles
1. Matej Selecky (NYITM) def. Matteo Cannavera (ADE) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
2. Francisco Caldas (NYITM) def. Sabin Adrian Saveluc (ADE) 7-5, 7-5
3. Rares Ispas (NYITM) def. David Robres de Veciana (ADE) 6-3, 7-5
4. Alexandre Martinez (NYITM) def. Luke Attride-Stirling (ADE) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 10-7
5. Maxton Cook (NYITM) def. Ilya Kalabukhau (ADE) 6-3, 6-1
6. Sergio Fernandez (NYITM) def. Connor Dove (ADE) 6-0, 6-1

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About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009, and in the past eight seasons, has collected 25 regular season conference titles, 26 tournament championships, 33 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.

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