ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The spring season kicked off in style for the No. 16 Washington University in St. Louis men's tennis team on Saturday evening as the Bears downed No. 35 Wisconsin-Whitewater at the Vetta Sunset Tennis Center. WashU swept the visiting Warhawks, 7-0 to open their dual match season.
It did not take long for the Bears to clinch the doubles point as seniors
Eric Kuo and
Colin Scruggs made quick work at No. 3 doubles, 6-2, while classmates
Case Fagan and
Colin Fox followed suit with a 6-3 win at the top doubles spot. First-years
Hans Deng and
Ethan Wu completed the doubles sweep with a 7-5 win at No. 2.
Playing on only five courts inside the tennis bubble, the top five singles matches went on first. Fagan put the Bears up 2-0 with a quick 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3. Junior
Nathan Tam put WashU one point away from the win with his 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 5.
It was sophomore
Coleman Merce's win at number No. 4, 6-4, 6-1, that clinched the season opening win for the Bears. Kuo was the next to finish at the top singles spot. He took the opening set 6-4 before dropping the second set 3-6. However, he swung the momentum back in his favor by taking the match tiebreak, in lieu of a full third, 10-5.
Sophomore
Avi Mahajan, who took Fagan's singles court, finished his match at No. 6, 6-0, 6-2 before Scruggs, who started the same time as Fagan, won 7-6 (6), 6-2.
WashU is back at the Vetta Sunset Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. when they host No. 1 and defending national champion Denison.
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Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
