ELON, North Carolina – No. 2 Elon narrowly won the early doubles point and registered three singles victories to upset top-seeded and two-time defending champion UNCW, 4-3, in the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Tennis championship match on Saturday at Elon's Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center.
 
The Phoenix, making their first finals appearance as a member of the CAA, reeled off their 10^th consecutive win and soared to 21-4 this season. Elon secured the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.
 
The Seahawks had their eight-match winning streak in the CAA Tournament snapped and finish with a 12-11 record.
 
Meeting for the first time in the CAA championship match and on only the second occasion in the CAA Tournament, the two teams locked up a close duel that featured a pair of tie-breakers in doubles play, a rain delay that forced completion of the final two matches indoors, and high drama in the deciding matches at Greensboro's Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center.
 
In doubles, Kyle Frankel and Camilo Ponce got Elon off to a strong start with a 7-5 decision against UNCW's Agustin Savarino and Bruno Caula at the No. 2 position before Michael Copeland and Daniel Groom evened the score with a 7-6 (4) triumph vs. Elon's Taylor Foote and Dino Bonetta at No. 3 doubles.
 
Elon's top doubles team of Felipe Sarrasague and Mario Paccini then clinched the important point by outlasting UNCW's Austin Hussey and Cole Groetsch, 7-6 (6).
 
The Seahawks stormed back in singles play, however, winning the first three singles matches off the court. Groom (No. 3), Davide Innocenti (No. 6) and Savarino (No. 2) posted successive wins to stake UNCW to a 3-1 advantage.
 
Elon sliced the deficit to 3-2 when Sarrasague, ranked 96^th by the ITA, downed Hussey, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 1 singles.
 
But the Phoenix, who lost to the Seahawks, 6-1, back on Feb. 15 in Wilmington, jumped out to early leads at No. 4 and No. 5 singles and survived the change in venue to complete the upset.
 
Leading 6-2 and 3-2 in the second set tiebreaker at No. 4 singles, Frankel finished out the breaker at 7-5 to square the match at 3-all.
 
At No. 5 singles, Ponce prevailed, 6-4, over Leo Sprovieri in the first set and was tied at 5-all in the second set when the match moved indoors. Sprovieri forced a third set by taking the second set, 7-5, but Ponce clinched the match with a 6-3 decision in the decisive third set.
 
The Phoenix, who won the Southern Conference championship in 2014, will be making their second NCAA Tournament appearance when the regionals take place May 11-12, 2019.
   
Singles
1. #96 Felipe Sarrasague (ELON) def. Austin Hussey (UNCW) 6-4, 6-2
2. Agustin Savarino (UNCW) def. Mario Paccini (ELON) 7-5, 6-1
3. Daniel Groom (UNCW) def. Felipe Osses-Konig (ELON) 6-4, 6-0
4. Kyle Frankel (ELON) def. Bruno Caula (UNCW) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Camilo Ponce (ELON) def. Leo Sprovieri (UNCW) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
6. Davide Innocenti (UNCW) def. Taylor Foote (ELON) 7-5, 6-2
 
Doubles
1. Felipe Sarrasague/Mario Paccini (ELON) def. Austin Hussey/Cole Groetsch (UNCW) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Kyle Frankel/Camilo Ponce (ELON) def. Agustin Savarino/Bruno Caula (UNCW) 7-5
3. Michael Copeland/Daniel Groom (UNCW) def. Taylor Foote/Dino Bonetta (ELON) 7-6 (7-4)
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,6,2,1,4,5)