NEW ORLEANS, La. – Georgia Gwinnett College men’s tennis juniors Federico Bonacia and Valentino Caratini took a step toward capturing the 2019 NAIA championship by winning the doubles title Sunday at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association South Regional in New Orleans.

The top-ranked doubles team had identical 6-4 set scores to defeat Daniil Klimov and Dominik Fritsche from William Carey University (Miss.) in the championship match.

Bonacia and Caratini will now compete in the NAIA singles/doubles championships Oct. 17-20 at the ITA Oracle Cup in Rome, Ga.

They could be joined in postseason play by other Grizzlies as sophomore Jose Dugo will meet Bonacia in the South Regional singles finale, taking place Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the GGC Tennis Facility in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Bonacia defeated No. 2-seeded Santiago Perez of Xavier University (La.) 6-1, 6-4 in Sunday’s semifinals, while Dugo earned a 6-0, 6-2 victory against sophomore teammate Daniel Czepielewski.

More GGC players also could advance as alternate competitors to the ITA Oracle Cup. Decisions will be made later this fall.