NEW ORLEANS, La. - The top-seeded Alabama State University men's tennis team forced a rematch of last year's championship match with Jackson State, as they defeated Prairie View A&M University 4-0 in the semifinals of the SWAC Championship Tournament Saturday afternoon.
 
Alabama State (8-12) took an early 1-0 lead after they won two of their three doubles matches. The number one team of Ion Efrim and Takura Mlambo, who were selected all-conference earlier this week, fell to the team of Xavier Lawerence of Ulrick Boyogueno, 6-3; however, they were picked up when the Hornets number two and three teams each won their match.
 
After Tomas Fernandez and Carl-Louis Luckmann won their match 6-4, all attention turned to number two doubles which went to a tiebreaker. The Hornets fought their way to the win as Karlo Skvorc and Szabin Pusztay claimed a 7-6 (3-0) victory.
 
Leading 1-0 heading into singles play, the Hornets made quick work of three matches to claim the win. Skvorc claimed a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Freddy Quintero to put Alabama State up 2-0, and the Hornets claimed the win with wins at number six and two. Pusztay claimed a 6-4, 6-2 victory at number six over Prairie View A&M's Zachary Suico. Efrim, an all-conference singles selection, bounced back from doubles to claim a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Prairie View A&M's Boyogueno at number two.
 
Alabama State advances to Sunday's championship match against Jackson State, in search of their second title in school history and first since 2015. The two teams met in last season's championship match with Jackson State coming out on top, while the two met earlier this season with the Hornets claiming a 4-0 victory in Mississippi.
 
The championship match is set for 1 pm at the Pepsi Tennis Center.

Alabama State 4, Prairie View A&M 0
 
Singles
Xavier Lawerence (PVAMU) vs. Takura Mlambo (ASU) 3-6, 5-1 (dnf)
Ion Efrim (ASU) def. Ulrick Boyogueno (PVAMU) 6-4, 6-3
Sergio Avella (PVAMU) vs. Tomas Fernandez (ASU) 5-7, 2-4 (dnf)
Anirudh Yadav (PVAMU) vs. Carl-Louis Luckmann (ASU) 1-6, 6-4 (dnf)
Karlo Skvorc (ASU) def. Freddy Quintero (PVAMU) 6-0, 6-1
Szabin Pusztay (ASU) def. Zachary Suico (PVAMU) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
Lawerence/Boyogueno (PVAMU) def. Mlambo/Efrim (ASU) 6-3
Skvorc/Pusztay (ASU) def. Quintero/Suico (PVAMU) 7-6 (3-0)
Fernandez/Luckmann (ASU) def. Avella/Yadav (PVAMU) 6-4
 
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