NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 20 Vanderbilt men’s tennis team earned a sweep Sunday, facing two in-state opponents in Middle Tennessee and Lipscomb. The `Dores defeated 56th-ranked MTSU, 6-1, to open the doubleheader and knocked off Lipscomb, 6-1.
Vanderbilt got off to a great start in doubles play, winning quickly at No. 3 and clinching at No. 1. Jeffrey Offerdahl and Anton Kovrigin won 6-1 at No. 3 to improve to 3-0 in dual play. Second-ranked Gonzales Austin and Ryan Lipman down No. 22 David Fox and Victor Cornea, 6-4, at the top position.
In singles play the `Dores struggled out of the gate, losing four first-sets. However, the team was able to bounce back, splitting in each of those four matches.
Lipman didn’t have any issues at the No. 2 position, winning 6-2, 6-2, to give Vandy the 2-0 lead.
Kris Yee was able to get the next win for the Commodores. After dropping his first set 4-6, the junior dominated the next two sets winning 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5.
It was a race to see who could clinch the match for the `Dores as Austin at No. 1 and Kovrigin at No. 4 had it in their sights.
Austin, who after losing badly in the first set and winning big in the second, had to battle against MTSU’s top player, Ettore Zito, in the third. Austin, who faced two match points, broke in the ninth game to force a tiebreak. In the breaker ninth-ranked Austin took control, winning 7-3 to clinch the match.
Minutes after Austin clinched, Kovrigin came out victorious at No. 5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
MTSU picked up its only point with a win at No. 3 over Rhys Johnson.
Jeffrey Offerdahl closed out the win with a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 6.
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Vanderbilt had much of the same success against Lipscomb. The Bison, came to Currey with only five players available, so the Commodores won by default at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.
Already holding the advantage in doubles, Vandy won the point at No. 2, as Suresh Eswaran and Pen Binet won 6-4. It was the first appearance this dual season for the freshman Binet.
In singles, the Commodores were quickly able to clinch the match as Eswaran and Kris Yee won easily at No. 5 and 2, respectively.
Eswaran breezed to a 6-1, 6-0 win, while Yee won 6-2, 6-1.
Freshman Ryan Smith won his first career dual match, playing at No. 4. Smith knocked off Miguel Cortez 6-5 (6), 6-2 to give Vandy a 5-1 advantage.
Rhys Johnson finally closed out the doubleheader with a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8) at the No. 1 position.
The lone point of the day for Lipscomb came at No. 3 singles as Rob Mitchell defeated Jeffrey Offerdahl, 3 and 2.
Vanderbilt returns to action Friday, February 14, at 4 p.m., as the Commodores welcome Memphis to the Currey Tennis Center.
