Miami Sweeps Liberty in First Match of Doubleheader

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s tennis team secured its second straight sweep to start the year, posting a 7-0 victory over Liberty Sunday afternoon in the first of two matches at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
 
Similar to Friday, the Hurricanes jumped out to the early lead through doubles action and never looked back.
 
Competing at No. 2 doubles, redshirt senior Dane Dunlap and junior Bojan Jankulovski defeated Goncalo Ferreira and Josh Wilson, 6-0.
 
Clinching almost simultaneously, Miami’s ninth-ranked pair of sophomore Franco Aubone and junior Benjamin Hannestad topped Nicaise Muamba and Deji Thomas-Smith, 6-1. Meanwhile, finishing out the final point, sophomore Francisco Bastias and junior Adria Soriano Barrera topped Chase Burton and Marques Da Silva, 6-1.
 
Carrying momentum into singles, the Hurricanes continued to cruise winning the opening set on five of six courts.
 
Competing at No. 6 singles, Aubone cruised past Thomas-Smith, 6-1, 6-2, in his first match of the spring, to give Miami the commanding 2-0 lead in the overall match.
 
Minutes later, Bastias topped Ferreira, 6-3, 6-1, to place the Hurricanes in front 3-0.
 
Meanwhile, competing on court 5, Jankulovski topped Marques Da Silva, 6-3, 6-3, to secure the victory.
 
The remaining three matches were played out with Miami once again eyeing a sweep.
 
The loan Hurricane to drop a set, Dunlap bounced back with a strong showing in the second and third sets against Wilson to secure the victory, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
 
Taking on Muamba at the top singles position, No. 63 Soriano Barrera earned a straight-set victory, 6-4, 6-4, to place the Canes one point away from earning back-to-back sweeps.
 
In the final match to conclude, Hannestad secured his first dual match victory as a Hurricane, topping Burton, 7-5, 6-3, to preserve the sweep.
 
Miami will return to action at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday to face Georgia Southern.
 
To keep up with the University of Miami tennis team on social media, follow @CanesMensTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.