NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt men’s tennis bounced back from a loss at Texas A&M with a hard-fought 4-3 win against Drake at the Currey Tennis Center Sunday morning.
After dropping the doubles point to open the match, the Dores battled hard to pick up four wins over the Bulldogs.
“We knew Drake would challenge us, but I’m not sure we knew to what extent,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage. “The guys deserve credit for finding a way to win the match, but we’re going to have to play better in the future especially in doubles.”
Vandy improves to 10-3 on the season heading into a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, which include a couple of Southeastern Conference opponents.
Seeing Double
- Drake got off to a fast start on the Dores, defeating senior duo George Harwell and Max Freeman on Court 2, 6-3.
- Junior Siim Troost and freshman Michael Ross, who entered the latest ITA doubles rankings at No. 76, battled to win a 7-6 (4) decision on the top court.
- Coming down to the third court, senior Marcus Ferreira and junior Joubert Klopper worked to a 7-5 set in favor of the opposition to give Drake the doubles point.
Tested at Singles
- The momentum shifted in favor of the Dores as Harwell, who sits at No. 39 in the latest ITA singles rankings, put the Dores on the board after straight sets on the top court. The Nashville native won a quick first set, 6-1, before being tested in a 6-4 victory in the second set.
- Sophomore Jeremie Casabon gave Vandy its first lead of the morning after a convincing, 6-4, 6-0, victory on Court 5. The Dores led the match, 2-1, against the Bulldogs.
- Ferreira fought hard at No. 3 singles to increase the Dores’ lead to 3-1. The senior won a hard-fought first set tiebreaker, 7-6 (3), before taking the second set, 6-3.
- Drake grabbed singles points on Courts 2 and 4 to tie the match up, 3-3.
- Coming down to No. 6 singles, Troost clinched his third match on the season after a 6-3, 6-4, victory over his Drake opponent.
Next Serve
The Dores are set to host a pair of doubleheaders this week at the Currey Tennis Center. Vandy welcomes SEC West foe LSU Friday at 1 p.m. before returning to the courts that afternoon for a 4:30 p.m. match against Alabama A&M. They round out the weekend with a noon match Sunday against another SEC West foe, No. 25 Auburn, before completing a home-and-home series against Tennessee State at 4 p.m., which was originally scheduled for Feb. 20.
Dores Rally Past Drake by Vanderbilt Athletics on on Exposure
