Men's Tennis | 4/15/2003 7:37:00 PM

Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The 6th-ranked Barry University men's tennis team (17-3 overall, 5-0 SSC) wrapped up the top seed in the upcoming Sunshine State Conference Tournament with a 6-3 win over Lynn University (12-4, 3-2) Wednesday afternoon. The Fighting Knights took the early 2-1 lead after doubles, but the Buccaneers won five of the six singles matches to secure the victory.

Lynn took the top two doubles matches while the Bucs won at No. 3. Marius Calugaru and Jan Macko defeated Barry's Thomas Hipp and Samir M'Bioka at No. 1 by the score of 8-3. Raphael Almeida and Thorsten Poelzl posted an 8-1 win at No. 2 over Dirk Benninghaus and Alex Praderas. At No. 3, Sebastian Losavio and Gerold Wiring got Barry on the board with an 8-4 win against Oscar Argaez and Raigo Saluste.

Barry recorded straight set victories in the top four singles to seal the win. M'Bioka downed Calugaru at No. 1, 7-5 and 6-3. At No. 2, Hipp was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Almeida while Wiring beat Macko by the scores of 7-6 and 6-4 at No. 3. Losavio took the No. 4 singles match from Argaez, 6-4 and 6-1.

The Knights' lone singles win came at No. 5 where Poelzl slipped past Filip Norrman. Poelzl won the first set 7-6 while Norrman even the match with a 6-1 win in the second. Poelzl posted a 6-4 win in the third set to claim the match. In the final singles match, Benninghaus edged Saluste in three sets, 7-5, 4-6, and 6-4.

Singles:
Samir M'Bioka (B) def. Marius Calugaru (L), 7-5, 6-3
Thomas Hipp (B) def. Raphael Almeida (L), 6-4, 6-4
Gerold Wiring (B) def. Jan Macko (L), 7-6, 6-4
Sebastian Losavio (B) def. Oscar Argaez (L), 6-4, 6-1
Thorsten Poelzl (L) def. Filip Norrman (B), 7-6, 1-6, 6-4
Dirk Bennighaus (B) def. Raigo Saluste (L), 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Doubles:
Calugaru/Macko (LU) def. Hipp/M'Bioka (BU), 8-3
Almeida/Poelzl (LU) def. Benninghaus/Alex Praderas (BU), 8-1
Losavio/Wiring (BU) def. Argaez/Saluste (LU), 8-4