University of the District of Columbia Men’s Tennis Cruises Past Shepherd in Spring Season Opener
WASHINGTON, DC – The University of the District of Columbia men's tennis team opened its spring schedule with a resounding, 8-1 win over Shepherd University on Saturday afternoon at Southeast Tennis and Learning Center.
The Firebirds (4-0) swept the doubles portion of the match and won five of six singles matches as they snapped the Rams' four-match winning-streak from the fall season and dropped them to 5-3 on the year.
In doubles play, the Firebirds' No. 1 team of freshman Simon Andersson and sophomore Aleksandar Grabovac gutted out an 8-6 win over Shepherd's Chris Pratt and Taylor Boyle to complete the sweep. Beforehand, UDC's No. 2 team, juniors Tomas Gajdusek and Bruno Reich, and its No. 3 team, sophomores Miguel Uzcategui and Carlos Quiroga, both cruised to 8-0 victories at their respective flights.
Reich picked up the Firebirds' first singles win over Steven Kolumban, 6-1, 6-2 at third flight. Uzcategui followed with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Steven Lesko at the No. 4 spot. Gajdusek then defeated Michael Lesko at second singles, 6-3, 6-2, and Andersson coasted to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Boyle at No. 5. Quiroga downed Kent Thomas, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6 singles for the Firebirds' fifth and final singles win before Grabovac bowed out in a grueling, tie-breaker match to Pratt, 6-7(2), 6-3, 10-5.
The Firebirds have a week off before they host the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's Philadelphia University on February 25th at 5:00 p.m.