Miami Goes 2-0 in Wednesday Doubleheader
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s tennis team posted back-to-back wins on Wednesday, finishing the non-conference schedule with an 11-1 overall record.
The Hurricanes (12-2, 1-1 ACC) bested the No. 26 Memphis Tigers (8-3), 4-3, in the morning match for their third top-40 win of the season, before dominating the Army Black Knights (9-11), 4-0, to close out the day at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Freshman Martin Katz paved the way for the Hurricanes, posting a 3-0 record across singles and doubles action on the day. Fifth-year senior Bojan Jankulovski joined him with an undefeated record, 2-0, at second singles, highlighted by win over No. 113 Jeremy Taylor of Memphis.
Miami faced adversity early, dropping their third straight doubles point to Memphis after the recently-ranked No. 23 duo of fourth-year junior Franco Aubone and fifth-year senior Benjamin Hannestad, and the second doubles pair of Jankulovski and fourth-year junior Juan Martin Jalif, faced 6-4 and 6-3 defeats, respectively.
Katz evened the match at one with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory over Memphis’ Harry Rock on court six. Miami took its first lead of the match with a win at first singles by graduate student Dan Martin (6-3, 6-4), his 10th straight victory in singles action. However, the Tigers quickly tied it up at two-all after Hannestad dropped his third singles match, 6-2, 6-4.
Jankulovski’s 7-5, 6-3 victory at second singles over Taylor moved Miami ahead of Memphis 3-2, but the lead was short-lived as Jalif conceded a tough three-set match, 2-6, 6-2, 4-6, to Memphis’ Pablo Alemany Malea.
With the match on the line and trailing 4-6, 5-6, fourth-year junior Oren Vasser staved off defeat, forcing a second-set tiebreak, which he ultimately won, 8-6. The New Rochelle, N.Y., native carried that winning momentum into the final set, rattling off four straight games before his opponent retired due to injury, giving the Hurricanes the 4-3 victory.
The Hurricanes found redemption in doubles action in the afternoon matchup against Army, securing the doubles point after a pair of 6-1 victories from Hannestad and Martin at first doubles and Aubone and Jalif at second doubles. Katz and Vasser were leading their doubles match, 4-3, at the time the doubles point was clinched.
Miami swiftly took care of business in singles action, beginning with Katz, who defeated Thomas Lake 6-2, 6-1, at fourth singles. Katz is now 4-0 when playing on court four and holds a 10-2 record overall.
Aubone recorded his second singles win of the season, posting a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory at fifth singles to extend Miami’s lead to 3-0. Jankulovski clinched the match for the Hurricanes at second singles, tallying a 6-3, 6-3 win to give Miami its 12th win of the spring schedule.
Miami returns to action on Friday when its hosts North Carolina at 5 p.m. at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Full Results:
#24 Miami 4, #26 Memphis 3
Singles competition
1. #99 Dan Martin (UM) def. Oscar Cutting (MEM) 6-3, 6-4
2. Bojan Jankulovski (UM) def. #113 Jeremy Taylor (MEM) 7-5, 6-3
3. David Stevenson (MEM) def. Benjamin Hannestad (UM) 6-2, 6-4
4. Oren Vasser (UM) def. Pau Fanlo (MEM) 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 4-0, retired
5. Pablo Alemany Malea (MEM) def. Juan Martin Jalif (UM) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
6. Martin Katz (UM) def. Harry Rock (MEM) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #22 David Stevenson/Jeremy Taylor (MEM) def. #23 Franco Aubone/Benjamin Hannestad (UM) 6-4
2. Oscar Cutting/Pablo Alemany Malea (MEM) def. Juan Martin Jalif/Bojan Jankulovski 6-3
3. Patrick Sydow/Pau Fanlo (MEM) def. Dan Martin/Martin Katz (UM) 6-5, unfinished
#24 Miami 4, Army West Point 0
Singles competition
1. #99 Dan Martin (UM) vs. Huttepain, Diego (ARMY) 6-4, 5-3, unfinished
2. Bojan Jankulovski (UM) def. Woodman, A.J. (ARMY) 6-3, 6-3
3. Juan Martin Jalif (UM) vs. Eden Samuel (ARMY) 6-4, 5-2, unfinished
4. Martin Katz (UM) def. Lake, Thomas (ARMY) 6-2, 6-1
5. Franco Aubone (UM) def. Huarte, Jake (ARMY) 6-1, 6-3
6. Casper Christensen (UM) vs. Haikal, Samuel (ARMY) 6-4, 5-5, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Benjamin Hannestad/Dan Martin (UM) def. Woodman, A.J./Lake, Thomas (ARMY) 6-1
2. Franco Aubone/Juan Martin Jalif (UM) def. Eden Samuel/Huttepain, Diego (ARMY) 6-1
3. Martin Katz/Oren Vasser (UM) vs. Huarte, Jake/Jose, Nathan (ARMY) 4-3, unfinished
