NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 17th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team earned an impressive 6-1 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks Sunday afternoon inside the Currey Tennis Center.
With the victory, the Commodores improve to 13-2 overall and 3-0 in Southeastern Conference play. VU also boasts an undefeated home slate, amassing an 8-0 record while competing on West End.
Sunday’s match began with tight doubles victories for the black and gold on courts three then one. Baker Newman and Daniel Valent picked up a 6-3 win on court one against the Razorbacks’ Alex Reco and Pedro Alonso.
In a match riddled with six deuce points, No. 57 Billy Rowe and Cameron Klinger earned a close win over Josh Howard-Tripp and Jose Salazar at No. 1 doubles. Rowe/Kinger broke serve for the 5-4 lead then held serve to clinch the point advantage for Vanderbilt.
The Commodores carried that momentum into singles play, taking five-of-six first sets over Arkansas.
No. 57 Klinger was first off the court for Vandy, earning a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory against Howard-Tripp at No. 2 singles. The Commodore junior will head into the third weekend of league action with a 9-3 dual match record.
The Dores took the 3-0 lead on court four, as Rowe limited his opponent, Alex Reco, to four games in his 6-2, 6-2 straight-set victory. Rowe has taken seven of his last eight matches and sits undefeated in SEC action.
Maxwell Freeman clinched the victory for Vanderbilt. The freshman flew through his first set against Pedro Alonso, 6-0, but the Razorback fought back in the second set to send the match to a tiebreaker. Freeman earned his first-career SEC win by taking the breaker for a 6-0, 7-6(3) win.
Following the clinch, Newman and Valent took their matches on courts three and one in third-set, 10-point tiebreakers. Newman downed Oscar Mesquida 6-0, 4-6, 1-0(5), while No. 79 Valent defeated No. 85 Salazar 7-5, 4-6, 1-0(6).
Arkansas earned its lone point of the outing at No. 6 singles, as Jose Alonso defeated George Harwell in a 10-point tiebreaker, 7-5, 5-7, 1-0(4).
Vanderbilt remains at home next weekend, hosting South Carolina on Friday at 4 p.m. and Florida on Sunday at noon.
