Miami Tallies Two Wins on Friday
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s tennis team returned to its winning ways on Friday, besting the Georgia State Panthers, 4-1, and the Mercer Bears, 6-1, in a doubleheader at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Panthers (3-3) won the first doubles point of the day as the first doubles team from Georgia State – Harvey Maughan and Kevin Huynh – bested the Miami duo of fourth-year junior Oren Vasser and graduate student Dan Martin, 6-2.
Georgia State clinched the doubles point at first doubles, taking down the No. 5 pair of fourth-year junior Franco Aubone and fifth-year senior Benjamin Hannestad, 6-3.
The Hurricanes (7-1) rebounded in singles play, as Vasser defeating Georgia State’s Huynh in two sets, 6-4, 6-1, to even the score at one. Martin, the 76th singles player in the nation, also notched a two-set, 6-3, 6-2 win against Georgia State’s top singles player Roberts Grinvalds.
On court three, Hannestad won in dominant fashion against Maughan, posting a 6-4, 6-3 victory. The final point was ultimately decided on court five as freshman Martin Katz downed Georgia State’s Patrick Lazo, 7-6 (6), 6-2, to give Miami its sixth victory of the season.
Fifth-year senior Bojan Jankulovksi trailed his opponent, 5-7, 4-4, and freshman Casper Christensen was tied 5-7, 6-2, at the time of clinching.
Miami carried its momentum into the afternoon match against Mercer (5-4), finding redemption in doubles play with a decisive doubles point victory.
No. 5 Aubone and Hannestad defeated Mercer’s Lucas Wayenburg and David Georgadze, 6-1, while Martin and Vasser swiftly clinched the doubles point for the Canes with a 6-2 tally against Andrew Branicki and Samuel Barrow.
The Hurricanes closed out the afternoon match in convincing fashion, with Aubone besting Barrow 6-2, 6-3 in two sets and Martin defeating Wayenburg, 6-2, 6-3 for his second win at first singles on the day.
To seal the win for Miami, Jankulovski defeated Georgadze on court two, 6-1, 6-2, pushing Miami’s win total to seven on the season.
Fourth-year junior Juan Martin Jalif went on to win his first singles match of the day, recording two 6-3 sets over Mercer’s Dan Flynn. The Miami freshman closed out the sweep for the Hurricanes, beginning with Katz who posted a 6-3, 6-3 win at fourth singles.
Christensen won the seventh and final point in a hard-fought match, dropping the first set, 6-7, to Mercer’s Marceau Fouilhoux. The Norway native rallied to win the second set 7-6 (2) and then closed out the 10-point tiebreak with a 10-7 win.
The Hurricanes are back in action at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center at 10am on February 25, facing off with the Florida Atlantic Owls.
