Ruger Clinches, Dores Extend Streak

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fifth year Henry Ruger delivered a match-clinching win for Vanderbilt men’s tennis as the Dores took home their third straight victory in a 4-1 defeat of Arkansas on Thursday.

For the sixth time in the last eight matches, Vanderbilt secured the doubles point to begin the match. No. 40-ranked junior Nathan Cox and senior Michael Ross were the highlight of the early matches with a 6-4 takedown of No. 19 Connor Smillie and Jakub Vrba. It is the duo’s highest ranked win this season, and pushes their record to 5-7 against nationally ranked opponents.

The Dores showed no signs of slowing down in singles, generating five first set leads out of the six total matches. Danil Panarin secured the second point of the day in a 6-2, 6-2 victory against No. 48 Lukas Palovic at No. 1 singles. The results also marks Panarin’s highest ranked win this season. After a loss at No. 3 singles, Vanderbilt responded with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win from Ross over Benni Emesz.

Needing just one point, all remaining scores favored the black and gold. And as he has done multiple times this season, Ruger delivered with his team needing him the most. The fifth year battled to a 6-1, 6-4 finish at No. 5 singles against Arthur Bellegy to capture Vandy’s third-straight win. Sophomore Hugo Coquelin held a second set lead when the match was clinched while freshman Pablo Martinez Gomez was tied 2-2 in the final frame. With the SEC tournament just around the corner, Vanderbilt is one of just five schools in the conference on a win streak of three or more; the stretch marks the first time since February for the Dores.

No. 50 Vanderbilt (11-13, 3-10 SEC) hosts No. 22 Oklahoma (14-8, 7-6 SEC) on Saturday in the final regular season home match. Ross and Ruger will be honored for the team’s senior day, which is expected to begin shortly before the match’s start at noon. For more information, updates and exclusive game day content, follow the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team, @VandyMTennis, on Instagram and X.

No. 50 Vanderbilt 4, No. 41 Arkansas 1

Doubles
1. No. 40 Cox/Ross (Vanderbilt) def. No. 19 Smillie/Vrba (Arkansas) 6-4
2. Martinez Gomez/Panarin (Vanderbilt) vs. Brendan Boland/Palovic (Arkansas) 5-4, unfinished
3. Dylan Charlap/Ruger (Vanderbilt) def. Bozo Barun/Emesz (Arkansas) 7-6 (4)

Singles
1. Panarin (Vanderbilt) def. No. 48 Palovic (Arkansas) 6-2, 6-2
2. Martinez Gomez (Vanderbilt) vs. Barun (Arkansas) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 2-2, unfinished
3. Vrba (Arkansas) def. Cox (Vanderbilt) 6-2, 6-3
4. Ross (Vanderbilt) def. Emesz (Arkansas) 7-6 (3), 6-4
5. Ruger (Vanderbilt) def. Bellegy (Arkansas) 6-1, 6-4
6. Coquelin (Vanderbilt) vs. Jean-Baptiste Badon (Arkansas) 6-0, 3-1, unfinished

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,3,4,5)