MEDFORD, MA (April 14, 2024) -- The Tufts University men's tennis team bounced back after trailing 2-1 after doubles, earning wins in five of the six singles matches to knock off No. 6 Bowdoin College 6-3 in front of an amazing crowd at Voute Courts Sunday afternoon.
Tufts has now seven straight matches over Division III opposition, and has dropped just six games over that stretch but had to work for the victory on Sunday morning after coming out of doubles' play down 2-1.
Bowdoin picked up the first win of the day with an 8-2 win by Tristan Bradley and Reid Staples over
Alex Ganchev and
Vuk Vuksanovic at the No. 1 spot. Tufts rallied back to deadlock the match at one as
Derin Acaroglu and
Lachie Macintosh bested Jackson Codd and Ethan Bradley 8-5.
In the final doubles' match, Tufts'
Sacha Maes and
Corey Marley trailed big at No. 3 but rallied back to make it 7-5. In the end though, Bowdoin's Pieter Breuker and Andrew Mendelson would earn the 8-5 victory to put the pressure on the Jumbos.
Tufts would be up to the task though, as
Javier Gonzalez got the rally going for the Jumbos in singles as he defeated Staples in straight sets 7-5, 6-2 in a fantastic match that featured some bite on both sides of the net. Macintosh would put the Jumbos ahead for good on Court No. 3 as he dispatched of Breuker 6-4, 6-3. Tufts momentum continued at No. 6 singles, as
Garv Bahl lost the opening set 6-0 but came all the way back to drop just four games over the next two sets in earning a three-set win 0-6, 6-2, 6-2.
The winning point for the Jumbos would come at No. 5 singles as Ganchev rolled to a first-set win 6-3. In the second set it appeared that Ganchev had won the match but a scoring discrepancy extended the match another game. In that game though, Ganchev clinched the team victory for the Jumbos with another 6-3 win as he was rushed by his teammates.
Moments later, Acaroglu picked up his second win of the day at No. 4 singles, earning a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (0) win over Ethan Bradley, while the final match to finish was a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win by Tristan Bradley over Vuksanovic at No. 1.
The Jumbos (10-5, 5-2 NESCAC) are now assured of a spot in the NESCAC Tournament playoffs, and will now focus their attention on a road trip to Connecticut College next Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m. before hosting Brandeis University Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in non-conference action the same day.
--JUMBOS--
