HERSHEY, Pa. — Mount St. Mary's men's tennis team secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Merrimack in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup on Saturday, highlighted by a doubles sweep and clutch singles performances late in the match. The contest was held at the Hershey Racquet Club in Hershey, Pa.
The Mount came out firing in doubles, grabbing the early 1-0 lead with wins on all three courts. At the top spot, Alexi Roy and Akarsh Gaonkar cruised past Jack Brimm and Henrik Lindeman, 6-2. The No. 2 team of Filippos Zachiotis and Lucas Evans battled through a tight match to take a 7-6 (7-5) win over Mateusz Gradski and Morgan Donovan, while Ryan Wagner and Aaron Thompson sealed the sweep with a 7-5 victory on court three.
In singles play, Merrimack quickly responded. Gradski dominated Gaonkar at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-1, and Lindeman followed with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Roy at No. 2 to give the Warriors a 2-1 advantage.
But the Mountaineers bounced back with resilience. Zachiotis edged past Britt in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5 at No. 3 to tie the match. Evans pulled off a comeback win at No. 4, rallying past Charles Robertson 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Wagner clinched the match for the Mount at No. 6, turning around an early deficit to defeat Valentin Riveros 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Thompson's match at No. 5 against Kabir Chhabria went unfinished, with Chhabria leading 7-6 (7-4), 4-3 when play was halted.
With the win, Mount St. Mary's improves to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Box Score
Mount St. Mary's 4, Merrimack 2
Hershey Racquet Club – Hershey, Pa.
DOUBLES
No. 1: Alexi Roy/Akarsh Gaonkar (MSM) def. Jack Brimm/Henrik Lindeman (MC), 6-2
No. 2: Filippos Zachiotis/Lucas Evans (MSM) def. Mateusz Gradski/Morgan Donovan (MC), 7-6 (7-5)
No. 3: Ryan Wagner/Aaron Thompson (MSM) def. Charles Robertson/Kabir Chhabria (MC)_, 7-5
SINGLES
No. 1: Gradski (MC) def. Gaonkar (MSM), 6-1, 6-1
No. 2: Lindgren (MC) def. Roy (MSM), 6-3, 6-0
No. 3: Zachiotis (MSM) def. Britt (MC), 6-4, 7-5
No. 4: Evans (MSM) def. Robertson (MC), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 5: Thompson (MSM) trailed Chhabria (MC), 6-7 (4-7), 4-3 unfinished
No. 6: Wagner (MSM) def. Valentin Riveros (MC), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
