Tennis teams both defeat Saint Joseph’s University | The Triangle

Tennis teams both defeat Saint Joseph’s University

The Drexel University men’s tennis team defeated the University of Delaware 4-2 April 8, and Saint Joseph’s University 4-0 April 11. (Photograph courtesy of Ryan Samson)
After a loss to the University of Delaware, the Drexel University women’s tennis team came back to defeat local rival Saint Joseph’s University 4-3. (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics)

The Drexel University women’s tennis team fell to the University of Delaware, 5-2, at the Elkton Indoor Tennis Courts April 8. Missing out on the conference win dropped the Dragons to 13-4 (1-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association) on the year.

Although freshman Mya Fuentes and senior Ryshena Providence took a win at the No. 3 spot, 6-4, the Delaware Blue Hens seized the doubles point and the early lead. Fighting to come back in the singles competition, Drexel managed two wins in the middle of the ladder to stay in the match. At No. 3, freshman Salma Ziouti outlasted Amanda Studnicki in three, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Fuentes took the team’s last win against Sarah Hall, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 at No. 5.

Quickly bouncing back, the Dragons then took a win from a tough Saint Joseph University’s line up April 11. Facing windy conditions, the women’s team tied 3-3 in the singles match ups and ended up clinching the win by winning two of the doubles matches, ending 4-3.

Starting with the singles competition, the three wins were split across the board. Fuentes and Ziouti earned wins in the top of the lineup to help secure the victory at No. 3 and No. 2, while freshman Marta Martinez won, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 6.

The doubles wins came at No. 1 and No. 3 to take the game. Sophomore Ghita Benhadi and senior Kendra Bunch teamed up for a 6-3 win at the top spot while Fuentes and Providence defeated their opponent, 7-6. The Dragons return April 15 at 1 p.m. when they host Hofstra University for Senior Day.

The men’s tennis team had better fortunes when they came up against Delaware at the same time as the women. Defeating the Blue Hens 4-2, this brought the team record to 11-5 (1-0 CAA), and they boast a five-win streak.

The men’s team dominated in the doubles competition, taking two of the three games, to secure the point. Junior Sinan Orhon and graduate student Bernard Tefel won 6-1 at No. 1 while freshman Xandy Hammitt and senior Hamza Laleej defeated their opponents, 6-3, at No. 3. In singles, the team took three straight set wins for the victory. Senior Balaji Lakshmanan won at No. 2, 6-1, 6-2, Orhon won at No. 4, 6-4, 6-3 and Tefel won at No. 5, 6-2, 6-4.

Moving on to Saint Joseph’s, the men’s team pushed their record to six wins on the trot, with a convincing 4-0 victory over the Hawks.

The doubles point was taken quickly by three impressive performances from the duos of Tefel and Orhon at No. 1, freshman Sanil Jagtiani and Lakshmanan at No. 2 and Laleej and Hammitt at No. 3.

Straight set victories from the lower half of the ladder saw the Dragons clinch the win without dropping a match. The Dragons got wins from Jagtiani at No. 4 and sophomore Youssef Lahlou at No. 6 before Tefel closed out the match with a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 5.

The Dragons will return to action on April 13 when they travel to James Madison University for a 3 p.m. match. As always, follow the action at www.DrexelDragons.com or live on DragonsTV.