SOMERVILLE, MA (April 15, 2023) -- The No. 4 Tufts University men's tennis team continued to cruise this spring season, upping its record to an unblemished 15-0 with a pair of victories Saturday, knocking off Trinity College (CT) at home 9-0 in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play before besting Brandeis College 7-2 in Waltham later in the day.
Match 1: Tufts 9, Trinity 0
The Jumbos moved to 8-0 in the conference Saturday afternoon, earning its first 9-0 victory of the spring as it showed off its depth in the lineup.
Sacha Maes and
Oliver Obeid started doubles play with an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles, and then the pairing of
Aarush Ganji and
Mauricio Gutierrez raced by Edward Sanchez-Carrion and Pierce Rutledge 8-4.
In the final pairs' match,
Josh Belandres and Richabh Sharda outlasted Rico Buoro and Henry Bilicic 8-7 (4) to clinch the clean sweep of doubles.
Sharda would earn a victory at No. 1 singles, needing a super-tiebreaker to defeat Bilicic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 1-0 (10-7) at the top spot. Belandres moved up the lineup to No. 2 singles and earned a straight set victory with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
The Jumbos played four non-starters against Trinity on Saturday at home, and Tufts' depth showed as all four earned straight set victories. Ganji upped his spring record to 4-2 with a 6-3, 6-2 win at the No. 3 position, while Obeid added his second victory of 2023 with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jack Ginter at the No. 4 spot.
Matthew Cashin played in his first singles' match of the spring and rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles, while Maes won all 12 games in a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kartik Erodula at No. 6.
Match 2: Tufts 7, Brandeis 2
The Jumbos sent a different group on the road to take on Brandeis Saturday, but Tufts swept doubles action to help earn the victory. Tufts has now won 12 straight doubles' matches, and has led after doubles play in all but one match this spring.
Derin Acaroglu and
Vuk Vuksanovic started the day with an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles, and
Alex Ganchev and
Jack Moldenhauer rolled to an 8-4 victory at No. 2 to make the score 2-0 in favor of Tufts. The final doubles' match also went to Tufts, as
Lachie Macintosh and
Corey Marley paired up to edge Alex Merson and Chen Liang 8-7 (3).
The Jumbos upped their lead to 4-0 at No. 3 singles, as Acaroglu knocked off Simon Kauppila in straight sets 6-4, 6-1. Brandeis got its first win of the match with a win by Merson at No. 4 over
Javier Gonzalez, followed by another Judge's win at No. 6 singles.
The match-clinching victory came at No. 1 singles, as Vuksanovic earned a three-set victory over Dylan Walters with scores of 6-1, 6-7 (1), 6-2 to up Tufts' record to 15-0 on the year.
Ganchev added his second win of the day in three sets, rallying for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory at No. 2 singles, upping his record to 9-2 on the campaign. Macintosh was also a double winner for Tufts Saturday with a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 1-0 (10-5).
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The Jumbos will play their fourth and fifth matches of the weekend on Sunday, hosting Connecticut College at 10 a.m. in NESCAC play before heading to Babson College at 2 p.m. for a non-conference contest.
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