LATROBE, Pa. (Oct. 7) – The Saint Vincent men's tennis team continued its unbeaten start to the season, picking up a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Geneva in a home match at the SVC Courts.
With the win, the Bearcats improved to 3-0 on the season, sweeping all three doubles matches before winning three of six singles contests to secure the victory over the Golden Tornadoes.
In doubles play, Braden Yokopenic and Blaise Bukovac opened the match with a dominant 6-1 victory over Ben Busler and Luke Crawford in the top doubles position.
Brady Johnson and John Allen followed with a 6-2 win against Thayne Bodenmiller and Ethan Mullen in number two doubles, clinching the doubles point for Saint Vincent. The doubles victory was Johnson's 80th career victory with the Bearcats.
William Hinkson IV and Timothy Jakubek completed the doubles sweep for the Bearcats, defeating Cody Clayton and Hunter Hazelwood, 6-3, in the number three position.
Yokopenic carried his strong play into singles action, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Crawford in the number two spot, extending the Saint Vincent lead to 2-0.
Johnson followed with an equally impressive performance in number four singles, shutting out Joseph Kenneally, 6-0, 6-0, to give the Bearcats a 3-0 advantage.
Jakubek secured the fourth and deciding point for Saint Vincent in a tightly contested three-set battle against Clayton in number six singles. After dropping the opening set, 6-4, Jakubek responded with a 6-3 victory in the second before outlasting Clayton, 14-12, in the deciding tiebreaker.
Geneva battled back to claim the remaining three singles matches, all of which were decided in three sets.
In the top singles position, Bukovac opened with a 6-3 victory over Busler before falling 7-5 in the second set. Busler went on to win the deciding tiebreaker, 11-9.
Allen also battled through a three-set contest in number three singles against Bodenmiller. Allen took the opening set, 6-2, before Bodenmiller responded with a 7-6 (7-4) victory in the second and a 10-8 win in the deciding tiebreaker.
In number five singles, Hinkson IV fell 6-2 in the opening set against Hazelwood before bouncing back with a 6-3 second-set victory. Hazelwood ultimately prevailed in the deciding tiebreaker, 11-9.
