NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 18th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team knocked off Ball State Friday, 6-1, as head coach Ian Duvenhage earned his 100th career win with the Commodores.
Duvenhage has a record of 452-275 in 27 seasons coaching collegiate tennis, he has posted a 100-105 record in nine seasons at the helm of the Commodores.
No. 15 Gonzales Austin clinched the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 1 over Ray Leonard.
Vanderbilt (11-2, 2-0 SEC) mixed up its doubles lineup against the Cardinals, as Rhys Johnson and Ryan Smith were bumped up to the No. 1 position. Suresh Eswaran and Jeffrey Offerdahl played at No. 2, while Pen Binet and Anton Kovrigin played out of No. 3.
Binet and Kovrigin were the first to finish, and they were followed by Eswaran and Offerdahl who clinched the point with a 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles.
Johnson and Smith played their match out and won 8-7 (3) in the breaker.
Vandy’s singles lineup saw the same shuffle as doubles. Smith and Eswaran both made an appearance, while Ryan Lipman and Kovrigin had the afternoon off.
The bottom of the lineup carried the `Dores early. Smith and Offerdahl cruised to wins to quickly put the Commodores up 3-0. Smith earned the 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 5, while Offerdahl won by the same score at No. 4.
After Austin clinched the match at No. 1, Eswaran put the Dores up 5-0with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 6.
Vandy’s only loss of the day came at No. 3, where Johnson was knocked off by Ball State’s Austin Smith, 7-5, 6-3.
Kris Yee closed out the day for Vanderbilt winning 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (8) at No. 2.
It’s back to SEC play for the Commodores as they welcome in 8th-ranked Texas A&M on Sunday, March 9 at noon. Admission to the Currey Tennis Center is free to all fans.
#18 Vanderbilt 6, Ball State 1
Singles competition
1. #15 Gonzales Austin (VU) def. Ray Leonard (BSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Kris Yee (VU) def. Lucas Andersen (BSU) 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)
3. Austin Smith (BSU) def. Rhys Johnson (VU) 7-5, 6-3
4. Jeffrey Offerdahl (VU) def. Andrew Stutz (BSU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Ryan Smith (VU) def. Shashank Nautiyal (BSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Suresh Eswaran (VU) def. Patrick Downs (BSU) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Rhys Johnson/Ryan Smith (VU) def. Ray Leonard/Austin Smith (BSU) 8-7 (7-3)
2. Suresh Eswaran/Jeffrey Offerdahl (VU) def. Patrick Elliott/Andrew Stutz (BSU) 8-4
3. Pen Binet/Anton Kovrigin (VU) def. Lucas Andersen/Matt Helm (BSU) 8-3
Match Notes:
Ball State 5-6
Vanderbilt 11-2; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,4,1,6,3,2)
T-3:04
