SOMERVILLE, MA (April 14, 2023) -- The win streak continued for the No. 4 Tufts University men's tennis team, as the Jumbos moved to 13-0 on the spring campaign with a strong 6-3 win over No. 16 North Carolina Wesleyan University Friday afternoon in a non-conference tilt from the South Courts.
The Jumbos moved to 3-0 on the season at home, while Friday's match was the first time this season that Tufts have played outside on their own courts. It would benefit the hosts early, as the Jumbos opened up a quick 3-0 match lead after sweeping the doubles play.
Vuk Vuksanovic and
Derin Acaroglu posted a quick 8-1 victory over Sean Keane and Diego Segovia at No. 1 doubles to make it 1-0. The pair moved to 8-4 together this spring with the victory.
Alex Ganchev and
Jack Moldenhauer moved to 10-3 on the season together with an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles, and
Josh Belandres and
Rishabh Sharda completed the whitewash of doubles with an 8-6 victory at No. 2. Belandres and Sharda also picked up their 10th win of the season, as Tufts is now 30-9 in doubles action this spring which comes out to a .769 winning percentage.
Tufts moved the bottom of the lineup up a spot, but still saw the Jumbos split in singles with the visiting Battling Bishops (12-7). Sharda won his second straight outing and moved to 7-5 on the season with a 6-4, 6-2 win at the top spot. Acaroglu kept his undefeated spring alive with another straight set victory, besting Tshepo Mosarwa 6-4, 6-2 to get to 10-0 on the campaign.
Belandres was also a winner at No. 5 singles, as he rallied from dropping the first set 6-1 to top Augusto Roca in the third-set, super-tiebreaker 1-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-5). All three of Tufts' losses on the day came in either three sets of in a super-tiebreaker. Ganchev dropped his No. 2 singles match 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, while
Javier Gonzalez fell at No. 4 singles 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. At No. 6 singles,
Lachie Macintosh was edged out by Andy Fanzaga 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8).
The Jumbos continue their busy weekend schedule Saturday, taking on Trinity College at 10 a.m. in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play on South Courts.
--JUMBOS--
