Men’s tennis improves to 2-2 in the spring

By Joe Clark | staff Writer

Xavier men’s tennis picked up its first two wins of the spring season last weekend, winning road matches at Northern Kentucky (NKU) on Friday and at Wright State on Sunday.

The Musketeers took care of the Norse 4-3 on Friday afternoon, winning two out of three doubles matches to grab the doubles point and then taking care of business in first, second and sixth singles.

The No. 1 doubles team of junior Brett Winters and junior Srdan Pejic won 7-5 while the No. 3 doubles team of freshman Shashank Reddy and senior Matthew Graft won 7-6.

Winters also got the win for the Musketeers No. 1 singles, beating NKU’s Nathan Schwartz 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 while Pejic got the win in No. 2 singles slot with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory. Reddy won in straight sets at No. 6 singles, beating Anthony Bosch 6-1, 6-2.

Against Wright State on Sunday afternoon, the Musketeers picked up wins from Winters and Pejic in no. 1 doubles and also senior Michael Lee and junior Jan Vrba in no. 2 doubles to take the doubles point.

Despite Wright State’s Param Pun picking up a three-set tiebreak win in No. 1 singles, the Musketeers got wins from Pejic in No. 2 singles spot and Graft in No. 3 singles spot.

Pejic once again pitched a come-from-behind effort after dropping the first set, winning 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Graft won in two sets 6-3, 7-6 and freshman Aaron Thompson mirrored with his own victory in No. 4 singles with an identical 6-3, 7-6 win. Sophomore Dominic Macaluso won No. 6 singles 6-4, 6-3.

The 5-2 victory over Wright State brought the Musketeers record to 2-2 on the spring season, while bringing their road record to 2-1.

The team will have a week off before its next match, which will be at home on Feb. 8 when the Musketeers take on Cleveland State.