COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team rallied in the consolation round of ITA Kickoff weekend against Oregon on Sunday morning.
Oregon (3-1) took the early advantage in doubles play, taking back-to-back wins on Courts 1 and 3, as Quinn Vandecasteele/Matthew Burton defeated No. 59 Nathan Cox/Jeremie Casabon, and Avi Shugar/Lachlan Robertson overcame Juan Lopez/Hugo Coquelin. Joubert Klopper and Danil Panarin’s match went unfinished with Oregon ahead 5-3.
In singles, Oregon started out strong claiming another point for the Ducks, but the Dores fought back. On Court 6, Coquelin defeated Lenn Luemkemann in a tie-breaking set, setting things in motion for the Commodores (5-1). Casabon followed, claiming a victory in straight sets on Court 5 to even the score. Panarin pulled Vandy ahead, winning the first set, dropping the second before picking up another point on Court 1. Cox then earned a three-set win on Court 4 to clinching the final point for Dores and securing the 4-2 win.
“First off, would like to congratulate Oregon on a hard-fought match,” said coach Scott Brown. “I was impressed with how they competed after a long match against Boise State the day prior. We (coaching staff) are very proud with how our guys rebounded after playing Ohio State yesterday and stayed the course after losing the doubles point. Our guys earned this victory from all the work they’ve been putting in the past 5 months. This group continues to work mentally both on and off the court, and it’s good to see them trust their training and put it to use in a match like today, where we had to come from behind. But with every match, win or lose, we learn and have some things to work on heading into this week in preparation for a tough doubleheader against Belmont and Butler next Sunday. Overall, I am very proud of the resilience and toughness these young men showed today. Fight Dores!”
Singles
1. Panarin (Vanderbilt) def. No. 66 Vandecasteele 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
2. Vlad Breazu (Oregon) def. Klopper 6-3, 6-3
3. Zian Vanderstappen (Oregon) vs. Lopez 7-5, 4-5, unfinished
4. Cox (Vanderbilt) def. Burton 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
5. Casabon (Vanderbilt) def. Ray Lo 6-2, 7-5
6. Coquelin (Vanderbilt) def. Lenn Luemkemann 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)
Doubles
1. Vandecasteele/Burton (Oregon) def. No. 59 Casabon/Cox 6-3
2. Ray Lo/Lenn Luemkemann (Oregon) vs. Klopper/Panarin 5-3, unfinished
3. Shugar/Roberston (Oregon) def. Lopez/Coquelin 6-4
On Deck: Vanderbilt returns home to play a doubleheader against Belmont and Butler on Sunday, Feb. 4.
