Vanderbilt Men’s Tennis opened February with a doubleheader at the Currey Tennis Center. The Commodores did not take their foot off the gas from 11:30 a.m. CST, when their first player took the court against Belmont, to 6:37 p.m. CST, when they played their last point against South Indiana.

Vanderbilt vs. Belmont

Vanderbilt’s singles play against its cross-city rival saw a mix of quick victories and hard-fought shootouts. Henry Ruger made quick work of Belmont’s Stefan Vedovelli in a 6-0, 6-1 contest. Tighe Brunetti followed suit with a 58-minute, 6-0, 6-0 defeat of Niklas Von Hellens. In a more competitive match, first-year Callum Markowitz bested Eli Mizerski 6-3, 7-5. Following an abysmal first-set loss to Sabi Roi, senior Michael Ross stormed back to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. Junior Nathan Cox followed with a gritty 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Esunge Ndumbe in a match that lasted two hours and eight minutes. Surprisingly, Cox’s match was not the longest of the day, as Pablo Martinez Gomez battled to a 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (8) win over Diego Castro in a dogfight that lasted two hours and 31 minutes. 

Head coach Scott Brown’s squad was almost as dominant in its doubles performances, winning two of three matches in just 29 minutes. The pair of Markowitz and Dylan Charlap outplayed Castro and Mizerski en route to a 6-3 win, while Ruger and Cerasuolo Giuseppe cruised to a 6-2 besting of Ndumbe and Charlie Robin. Ross and Cox rounded out doubles play with a 5-5 tie against Vedovelli and Esteban Ortiz.

Vanderbilt vs. South Indiana

The Commodores’ profound success did not falter against the South Indiana Screaming Eagles. Oscar Oberoi Jensen wasted no time in Vanderbilt’s opening singles match, securing a 6-0, 6-0 win over Trent Ross. Shortly afterward, Charlap excelled in a 6-1, 6-0 win over Quinten Gillespie. Markowitz followed in his doubles partner’s footsteps, thriving in every facet of his game in a 6-1, 6-3 defeat of Jy Hibbert. Cerasuolo, methodical in his play, buckled down to lead Adam Koon 6-3, 3-2 in an unfinished contest. Brunetti finished the day with a 6-2, 1-6 tie vs. Axel Sabourin. 

Vanderbilt was equally dominant in doubles play. The Markowitz/Charlap tandem soared to a 6-2 win over Eytan Michaeli and Gillespie. Mitchell Deames and Brunetti doubled down with a 6-2 rout of Koon and Mathys Bove shortly afterward. Ruger and Cerasuolo ended the Commodores’ doubles outing with a 5-2 defeat of Sabourin and Hibbert.

Vanderbilt will travel to Murfreesboro to face Middle Tennessee on Feb. 5.