WILMINGTON, N.C. – Longwood men's tennis hit the courts for the first time since their record-smashing 2016-17 campaign in which they won a program-best 14 matches and hauled in the Big South's Coach and Freshman of the Year accolades.

On the opening day of the 2017 Seahawk Fall Invitational hosted by UNC Wilmington, veterans Arthur Bardellotto, Julian Farthing and Jorge Godoy all picked up wins in singles competition while the dynamic duo of Bardellotto/Farthing collected the Lancers' first doubles win of the fall by a 6-3 margin.

Godoy, one of two seniors on the Lancer roster, paced the Lancers in singles play with a 2-0 day with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 three-set victory over Flight C's No. 3 seed Adam Schmidt from Gardner-Webb followed by a 7-5, 6-2 straight-set win against N.C. Central's Maksyn Konovalov to advance to the semifinals of Flight C.

After picking up 15 singles wins in his debut season in 2016, Bardellotto took a three-set match from from UNCW's Michael Copeland by a 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4 to before falling in the quarterfinals to the No. 2 seed Maximilian Scholl from Gardner-Webb. Bardellotto is scheduled to take on Gabriel Cucalon from N.C. Central at 1 p.m. in the third-place bracket of Flight A.

Farthing, who sits in the top-10 of the all-time singles wins list entering his junior season, also went 1-1 on the day with an upset over No. 3 seed Jacob Bicknell from Elon in a dominant 6-2, 6-1 fashion. Farthing fell in a three-set decision to Gardner-Webb's Ross Gilbert 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 and will take on Gardner-Webb's Millen Hurrion in the third-place bracket of Flight B.

Potential ace and Reigning Big South Freshman of the Year Amadeo Blasco lost a three-set match to UNCW's Agustin Savarino 6-4, 4-6, 0-6 and will take on Gardner-Webb's Paul Hogan in the semifinals of the back draw in Flight A singles. In his Lancer debut, Daniel Hernandez fell to Gardner-Webb's Johan Fors in a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 decision and will take on the winner of Brown and Ponce in the semifinals of the back draw in Flight B singles.

Making his Lancer debut, Raisei Sakai went 1-1 as he picked up a win over Camilo Ponce from Elon in a straight 6-3, 6-3 win before falling 6-0, 6-0 to UNCW's Daniel Groom. Sakai will be in the third-place bracket of Flight B along with teammate Farthing. Along with Sakai was Rosen Naydenov, who also made his Lancer debut but fell 6-3, 6-2 to Flight C No. 4 seed Stefano Puga from Gardner-Webb. Naydenov will take on NCCU's PJ Torres for a spot in the Flight C singles back draw.

Fourth-year senior Lachlan Manser fell to Gardner-Webb's Michael Perry 6-3, 6-1 and will take on Carter from Appalachian State on Saturday for a spot in the back draw of Flight C singles.

Day two of the Seahawk Invitational gets underway Saturday morning with championship matches set for Sunday.

Flight A Doubles:
Savarino/DeRueda (UNCW) def. Blasco/Sakai (LWU) 7-6 (7-4)

Flight B Doubles:
Bardellotto/Farthing (LWU) def. Hurrion/Gilbert (GWU) 6-3

Flight C Doubles:
Kontopoulos/Torres (NCCU) def. Hernandez/Godoy (LWU) 6-3
Puga/Brennan (GWU) def. Manser/Naydenov (LWU) 6-0

Flight A Singles:
Savarino (UNCW) def. Blasco (LWU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
Bardellotto (LWU) def. Copeland (UNCW) 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4
Scholl (GWU) def. Bardellotto (LWU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Flight B Singles:
Fors (GWU) def. Hernandez (LWU) 6-3, 6-2
Farthing (LWU) def. Bicknell (Elon) 6-2, 6-1
Sakai (LWU) def. Ponce (Elon) 6-3, 6-3
Gilbert (GWU) def. Farthing (LWU) 6-2, 6-3
Groom (UNCW) def. Sakai (LWU) 6-0, 6-0

Flight C Singles:
Perry (GWU) def. Manser (LWU) 6-3, 6-1
Puga (GWU) def. Naydenov (LWU) 6-3, 6-2
Godoy (LWU) def. Schmidt (GWU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Godoy (LWU) def. Konovalov (NCCU) 7-5, 6-2

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