Match Results

RALEIGH, N.C. – Behind a spirited comeback by Bogdan Yordanov (Sofia, Bulgaria) at No. 5 singles, the Norfolk State men's tennis team downed previous MEAC unbeaten Hampton 4-3 on Friday morning in the MEAC Championship quarterfinals at Millbrook Tennis Center.

The Spartan men (4-7), seeded fourth among MEAC Southern Division teams, won the doubles point and split the six singles matches with the Pirates (8-8), the top seed from the MEAC North. The win gives NSU its third consecutive appearance in the MEAC semifinals.

MEAC Player of the Year Miroslav Vlcek (Vyskov, Czech Republic) and partner Petr Krakora (Brno, Czech Republic) earned an 8-6 win over Sung-Kwon Baek and Nicholas Hudson at No. 1 doubles. Yordanov and countryman Vassil Zahariev (Sofia, Bulgaria) then eased past Sueng Min Cho and Marcelo Reda 8-0 at No. 2 doubles, clinching the doubles point for the Spartans.

Vlcek and Roman Del Castillo (Lima, Peru) earned straight-set wins for the Spartans at Nos. 1 and 3 singles, respectively. Vlcek beat Gabriel Groh 6-4, 6-1 and Del Castillo topped Quentin Logan 6-2, 6-1. But Hampton rallied to tie the match at 3-all with wins by Baek at No. 2, Cho at No. 4 and Hudson at No. 6.

That left Yordanov, a senior, facing Hampton's MEAC Rookie of the Year, Gellert Varga, at No. 5. Varga downed Yordanov 6-2 in the first set. With the rest of the matches decided and watching anxiously, Yordanov rallied to take the second set 6-2. The two were tied 4-all in the third set before Yordanov held serve for a 5-4 lead. Yordanov then broke Varga's serve to take the third set, 6-4, and end the match.

The Spartans face South Carolina State, the No. 2 seed from the MEAC South, at noon in Saturday's semifinals. The Bulldogs defeated Delaware State 4-0 in Friday's quarters.