CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The third-ranked Tufts University men's tennis team continued its strong start to the season with an impressive 5-2 road victory over No. 23 MIT on Saturday at the MIT Tennis Courts. Behind dominant singles play and a crucial doubles point, the Jumbos improved to 2-0 on the season.
Tufts jumped out to an early advantage by securing the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The top tandem of
Vuk Vuksanovic and
Javier Gonzalez delivered a commanding 6-3 win over Grant Gallagher and SangHyuk Im, while
Sacha Maes and
Nico Tremblay overwhelmed their opponents at No. 3 with a swift 6-1 victory. Though MIT managed to take the No. 2 doubles match, the Jumbos carried momentum into singles play with a 1-0 overall lead.
In singles, Tufts flexed its depth, winning four of six matches to clinch the victory. At the top of the lineup, Vuksanovic was dominant, dispatching MIT's Kailas Kahler 6-3, 6-0 to extend the Tufts lead. Sophomore
Lachie Macintosh followed with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles over Adam Sun, while
Derin Acaroglu delivered a steady 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 4.
The match was officially sealed when Maes secured a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles, ensuring the Jumbos would leave Cambridge with a second consecutive victory to open the season.
Fierce Battles in Three-Setters
MIT managed to grab a pair of singles points in marathon matches. At No. 2, Ryan Xiao edged out Gonzalez in a grueling three-setter, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Meanwhile, at No. 5, Siddharth Marathe rallied to defeat Tufts'
Andrej Djokic in a 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (super tiebreaker) battle.
With the win, Tufts moves to 2-0 on the season, reinforcing its top-five national ranking. The Jumbos will look to carry their momentum into their next match, traveling to Bates College Sunday, March 9 at noon in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opener for the Jumbos.
#3 Tufts University 5, #23 MIT 2
Mar 08, 2025 at Cambridge, MA (MIT Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1.
Vuk Vuksanovic (TUFTSMT) def. Kailas Kahler (MIT) 6-3, 6-0
2. Ryan Xiao (MIT) def.
Javier Gonzalez (TUFTSMT) 7-6, 6-7, 6-3
3.
Lachie Macintosh (TUFTSMT) def. Adam Sun (MIT) 7-5, 6-1
4.
Derin Acaroglu (TUFTSMT) def. Shrish Choudhary (MIT) 6-4, 6-3
5. Siddharth Marathe (MIT) def.
Andrej Djokic (TUFTSMT) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0
6.
Sacha Maes (TUFTSMT) def. Joseph Li (MIT) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1.
Vuk Vuksanovic/
Javier Gonzalez (TUFTSMT) def. Grant Gallagher/SangHyuk Im (MIT) 6-3
2. Joseph Li/Adam Sun (MIT) def.
Derin Acaroglu/
Lachie Macintosh (TUFTSMT) 6-2
3.
Sacha Maes/
Nico Tremblay (TUFTSMT) def. Shrish Choudhary/Siddharth Marathe (MIT) 6-1
Match Notes
Tufts University 2-0; National ranking #3
MIT 1-2; National ranking #23
T-3:00 A-40
--JUMBOS--
