KENOSHA, Wis. – Augustana used a furious comeback to pick up a hard-fought 5-4 men's tennis victory on Sunday, March 21 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener. The match was played at the Life Sport Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
 
The Vikings trailed in the match 4-2 after Carthage won matches at four, five and six singles. The comeback started when senior Caio DeRezende (Colegio Itoca, Sao Paulo, Brazil) dropped Tripp Schulte of the Firebirds 6-1; 6-3 at number one singles to trim the margin to 4-3. Junior Leonardo Panosso (La sale Caxias, Caxias Do Sul, Brazil) tied the match at 4-4 with a three set win over Matt Krzewinski (3-6; 6-2; 6-3) at number three. The clincher came from senior Peter Alex (Hinsdale South HS, Darien, Ill.) at number two when he beat Nicolas Welker 5-7; 6-3; 6-2.
 
Augustana took a 2-1 lead after doubles with wins at number two and number three. DeRezende and Panosso combined for an 8-5 win over Krzewinski and Cooper Ferruzzi at number two and junior Justin Cassens (Emerald Ridge HS, Puyallup, Wash.) and freshman Eliot St. Paul (Ecole Diagonal, Paris, France) beat Patrick Anderson and Andre Antreassian 8-6 at number three.
 
Alex and junior Kyle Boudreau (Antioch HS, Antioch, Ill.) lost 8-7 at number one to Schulte and Welker.
 
The Vikings are now 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the CCIW and will play Millikin on April 3 at 9:00 a.m. in Decatur, Illinois and later that day (3:00 p.m.) will drive up to Bloomington, Illinois to take on Illinois Wesleyan.