NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team completed its nonconference slate with a 4-0 sweep against Big Ten foe Indiana on Wednesday afternoon.
Teaming up for the first time this season, fifth-year senior George Harwell and sophomore Jeremie Casabon fought-hard to give the Dores the edge after clinching the opening point on Court 2.
“I thought we did a good job at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, especially at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage.
In singles play, Vandy led five of the six courts after the first set and clinched the match on Court 5 where Casabon defeated Ilya Tiraspolsky, 6-1, 6-2. The win marked the sophomore’s second clincher on the season.
“I thought we did a great job in singles coming out and getting ahead of them right off the bat and winning five of the six first sets and then getting ahead of them again” said Duvenhage. “A lot of times in college tennis, the team that loses the first set will have a resurgence at the start of the second set, and we didn’t allow them to do that.”
With the victory, the Dores went an undefeated 3-0 in Big Ten play on the season and now stand 13-5 heading into the heart of conference play this weekend.
“We got ahead of them again and pretty much every match … it was a businesslike outing,” noted Duvenhage. “We now have to get ready for (No. 12) Kentucky because they will challenge us at a whole `nother level.”
Doubles Domination
- Junior Siim Troost and freshman Michael Ross, ranked 80th nationally, got the Dores off to a quick start, defeating Carson Haskins and Vikash Singh of Indiana, 6-1.
- The Hoosiers evened the doubles contest as they took the match at Court 3 from junior Joubert Klopper and senior Marcus Ferreira, 6-3.
- Coming down to Court 2, Harwell and Casabon who teamed up for the first time this season, clinched the opening point after defeating Indiana’s Patrick Fletchall and Tiraspolsky, 6-4.
Sensational Singles
- The Dores kept the momentum going in singles play as five of six courts were up on their Hoosiers opponents.
- Harwell put the first singles point on the board after defeating Indiana’s Carson Haskins, 6-2, 6-1, on the top court.
- On Court 3, Ferreira was on his way to defeating Luka Vukovic in the second set, but Vukovic retired, forfeiting the win to the senior, 6-3, 3-1.
- Casabon clinched the match on Court 5 in a dominant performance over Indiana’s Tiraspolsky, 6-1, 6-2. This marked the sophomore’s second clincher on the season.
- When the match was clinched, Klopper won his first set, 6-1, and was tied in the second set, 4-4, on Court 2; fifth-year senior Max Freeman won his first set, 6-2, and led 4-1 in the second set on Court 4; and Troost fell in the first set, but had the lead in the second set, 4-2, on Court 6.
On Deck
The Dores enter the heart of Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosting No. 12 Kentucky at 4 p.m. Friday and Alabama at noon Sunday. Admission to both home matches are free of charge and parking is available on floors 9-11 of the 25th Avenue Garage (enter from Highland Avenue).
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