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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (4/7/18) – The University of Detroit Mercy men's tennis team moved into first place in the Horizon League standings with a big 4-3 win over Cleveland State on Saturday night from Franklin Athletic Club.
On a cold April day in Michigan, the match moved indoors where the action was hot. Cleveland State, the No. 1 team in the Horizon League preseason poll, entered the match 2-0 in league play, while the preseason No. 3 Titans entered the match 2-1.
In doubles, the visiting Vikings struck first with a 6-3 win at No. 3. Senior
Nathan Ponton and freshman
Luka Soskic answered with a 6-3 win at No. 2, before
Artem Vasheshnikov and
Jenya Sirous rallied for a grueling 7-6 win at No. 1 to clinch a crucial doubles point for the Titans.
Freshman
Alvaro Arce made quick work of Jack Santilli at No. 6, giving the Titans an early 2-0 lead over Cleveland State with wins of 6-1 and 6-0.
The Vikings responded as Soskic got behind early and fell to Cleveland State's Luke Phillips after a tough 7-6 loss in the second set at No. 3 singles.
From the top singles court, Vasheshnikov dispatched four-time Horizon League Men's Singles Player of the Week honoree Nico Mostardi in straight sets – 6-3 and 6-4 – pushing the Titan lead to 3-1.
Freshman
Gvidas Motuzas fell in an early hole after dropping the first set 3-6, but bounced back with wins of 6-3 and 6-1 to earn the win and clinch the win for Detroit Mercy with four points.
Sirous and Ponton dropped grueling matches at the second and third courts, with Sirous falling in the third frame 6-7 and Ponton being edged 6-7 and 6-7.
Detroit Mercy moves into a first-place tie at 3-1 with UIC in the Horizon League standings, while Cleveland State drops to 2-1. The Titans now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against both, with three conference games remaining.
The Titans will face yet another test tomorrow vs. the preseason No. 2 team in Youngstown State, who enters the match at 1-1 after a loss at CSU last weekend. The match against the Penguins is set to begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday night at Franklin Athletic Club.
