Vanderbilt Men’s Tennis ended its losing streak in style this weekend, sweeping Ole Miss 4-0 and Eastern Illinois 7-0 on April 5 in a home doubleheader. This sweep was the fifth of the season for the ‘Dores, who found momentum on Saturday after dropping two conference matches on the road to Ole Miss and then-No. 16 Tennessee.
Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss
The No. 63-ranked duo of junior Nathan Cox and senior Michael Ross downed No. 51 Kai Milburn and Isac Stromberg 6-3, notching their fourth ranked win of the season; that tally of ranked wins tied Henry Ruger/Danil Panarin’s season high. Ruger, this time paired with Dylan Charlap, also picked up a win, defeating Loan Lestir and Noah Schlagenhauf to pick up the doubles point.
Pablo Martinez Gomez and Panarin made quick work of the Rebels at the No. 2 and No. 1 singles spots, respectively. Martinez Gomez downed Marcel Kamrowski 6-1, 6-4, while Panarin defeated Schlagenhauf in a similar fashion, 6-4, 6-2. Cox started his first set against Stromberg strong, winning handily 6-1, but dropped the second set 6-1. In a third set, the junior stepped up, finishing 6-1 and delivering the Black and Gold their first victory since Feb. 24.
Vanderbilt vs. Eastern Illinois
Vanderbilt then took on the Eastern Illinois Panthers, who traveled to West End after a 7-0 defeat at MTSU earlier in the day.
The Commodores started off strong, grabbing the doubles point and dropping only one game in the process. Ruger and Charlap bested Alex Aldaz and Zach White 6-1. Juniors Tighe Brunetti and Mitchell Deames followed, defeating the Panther duo of William Hays and Fabian Planchard 6-0. First-years Giuseppe Cerasuolo and Callum Markowitz did not finish their doubles match but led 4-2 when the doubles point was secured.
The Commodores swept Eastern Illinois at all six singles spots to complete their undefeated weekend; every match was a straight-set victory. Markowitz (6-2, 6,0), Brunetti (6-3, 6-0) and Cerasuolo (6-1, 6-2) brought in the first three points, effectively winning the match for the ‘Dores. Dual-match play continued, though, and Vanderbilt brought it home. Eastern Illinois’ Pieke Bouman took Cox to a tiebreaker to end the first set, but Cox ultimately took the match 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Charlap and Aldaz’s first set also went to a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-4), but Charlap also took the match with a 6-2 finish in the second set. Wrapping up the day was sophomore Oscar Jensen, who beat Hays 6-0, 6-4 to take the seventh and final point of the match.
Vanderbilt will look to continue its win streak at home on April 10 when it takes on Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. CDT.
