CLAREMONT, CA (March 20, 2024) -- The No. 7 Tufts University men's tennis team played well in doubles Wednesday afternoon, but the Jumbos were bested twice in a pair of non-conference matches to NAIA squad Westcliff University and No. 7 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps out in California.
Match 1: Westcliff 4, Tufts 2
The duo of
Alex Ganchev and
Vuk Vuksanovic secured a vital victory for Tufts, defeating Westcliff's Karlo Krolo and Borna Devald with a score of 6-3.
The drama intensified on Court 2 as Tufts' Derin Acaroglu and Lachie Macintosh engaged in a thrilling battle against Max Mueller and Felix Veyhle of Westcliff. In a fiercely contested match that went down to the wire, Acaroglu and Macintosh emerged victorious in a tiebreak, clinching a 7-6 triumph and a crucial doubles point for Tufts.
The stage was set for an enthralling battle as the singles competition unfolded. Westcliff's Felix Veyhle set the tone early with a commanding performance against Tufts'
Javier Gonzalez, clinching a straight-set victory with scores of 6-4, 6-3. Meanwhile, on the adjacent court, Borna Devald of Westcliff showcased his mettle against Tufts'
Garv Bahl. Devald's aggressive baseline game propelled him to a 6-2 triumph in the first set, but Bahl fought back valiantly in the second. However, Devald maintained his composure to secure a hard-fought 7-5 victory, clinching another crucial point for Westcliff.
Tufts managed to secure a point of their own as Andrej Djokic displayed his skill and determination, overcoming Max Mueller of Westcliff with scores of 6-4, 6-4 in a closely contested match.
Westcliff continued their strong play in singles play as Angel Guerrero delivered a stellar performance against Tufts' Mauricio Gutierrez, emerging victorious with scores of 6-4, 6-2. The momentum remained firmly with Westcliff as Victor Chaix sealed the deal with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Tufts' Oliver Obeid, securing the fourth and decisive point for Westcliff in singles competition.
Match 2: CMS 5, Tufts 2
The battle commenced with doubles competition, where Tufts University surged ahead with a strong showing to earn the doubles' point. The duo of Corey Marley and Sacha Maes set the tone for Tufts with a dominant 6-1 victory over CMS's Tarm Rojanasoonthon and Josh Kim on Court 3. Tufts continued their momentum as Lachie Macintosh and Derin Acaroglu secured a 6-3 win over Anirudh Reddy and Advik Mareedu of CMS on Court 2.
Despite CMS's valiant effort, Tufts' Vuk Vuksanovic and Alex Ganchev clinched a crucial victory on Court 1 with a 6-3 triumph over Ian Freer and Matthew Robinson, giving Tufts a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Undeterred by the deficit, CMS rallied in singles competition, showcasing their depth and talent. Mareedu led the charge for CMS on Court 1, delivering a strong performance to defeat Vuk Vuksanovic of Tufts with scores of 6-2, 6-3, leveling the score. The momentum remained with CMS as Anirudh Gupta, Rojanasoonthon, and Warren Pham secured victories on Courts 4, 5, and 6, respectively, overcoming their Tufts counterparts to seal the victory.
Tufts fought back as Javier Gonzalez displayed resilience and skill to overcome CMS's Ian Freer on Court 2. Despite a fiercely contested first set, Gonzalez secured a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 victory. Robinson's gritty performance on Court 3, as he defeated Lachie Macintosh with scores of 7-5, 6-4, finished the match with the score 5-2 in favor of the Stags.
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Tufts (3-4) takes on Johns Hopkins University at 10 a.m. local time Thursday morning in the final match of the spring break trip out in California.
--JUMBOS--
