Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 20, 2018 – The Washington University in St. Louis men's tennis team opened play at the three-day Drake Invitational hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The season opening tournament featured nine teams, including six NCAA Division I schools: Creighton, Drake, Omaha, North Dakota, Northern Illinois and Wichita State.

WashU had six student-athletes earn first round victories in the opening round of singles: junior Ethan Hillis (A), senior Bernardo Neves (A), sophomore Luke Smith (C), senior Ricardo del Olmo Parrado (D), sophomore James Shaheen (D) and freshman Jaden Aranda (Ed).

Hillis and Neves highlighted the six opening wins in singles with straight-set victories in the A singles bracket over opponents from Northern Illinois and Drake.

In doubles, sophomore Sam Komis and junior Koki Takabatake earned a 7-6 (10-8) victory over Omaha in the opening round.

Day two begins at 9 a.m. (CT).