MOBILE, Ala. — Middle Georgia won three singles matches in a row, the last two in three sets, to rally for a 4-3 men's tennis victory Sunday against Xavier University of Louisiana in the championship round of the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament.
        The Knights (9-2), ranked fourth in the NAIA, won the tournament for the second straight time — there was no tournament in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — and earned the SSAC's automatic bid to NAIA nationals.
        XULA (13-10), ranked ninth, led 3-1 after winning the doubles point and getting singles victories from Santiago Perez and Shaikh Abdullah. But Middle Georgia won singles on matches on, in order, courts five, four and six to give XULA its fourth 4-3 defeat this season.
        MGA's Maxence Kupfert made it 3-all when he defeated Juan Ramirez 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5). Then Franck Soulerot clinched with his 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory against Guillermo Coiras.
        Ramirez and Juan Varon clinched the doubles point with a 6-1 victory on court one against Kupfert and Nicolas Mougaillard. Abdullah and Megh Patel defeated Angelo Tost and Naufal Kamaruzzaman 7-5 on court two. Abdullah gave XULA a 2-0 lead when he beat Jordi Bou 6-1, 6-1 on the second singles court, and Perez made it 3-1 when he won 6-2, 6-3 on court one against Yuri Syromolotov.