District of Columbia Picks Up Victory Over Roberts Wesleyan, 6-3

WASHINGTON, DC - The University of the District of Columbia men's tennis team played host to Roberts Wesleyan College, where they defeated the Redhawks by a score of 6-3.  With the win, the Firebirds improved to 6-2 on the season and 2-0 in conference play, good enough for first place in the ECC.

The Redhawks opened the day with a win at the No. 3 doubles match.  Junior Carlos Quiroga (Electrical Engineering – Valencia, Venezuela/Maria Montessori) and freshman Simon Bratke (Undecided – Bonn, Germany/Collegium Josephinum Bonn) dropped the match 8-2 to Julio Toledo-Lopez and Jordan Sadowitz.  The Firebirds then claimed the two remaining doubles matches to jump ahead, 2-1, after doubles play.  The victories were claimed by senior Aleksandar Grabovac (Psychology – Ljubljana, Slovenia/Gimnazija Euro Sola Ljubljana) and sophomore Simon Andersson (Business Management – Ystad, Sweden/Sydskanska Gymnasiet) over Charles Farres and Sam Thorold, 8-4, and by junior Miguel Uzcategui (Electrical Engineering – Valencia, Venezuela/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) and junior Ike Kiro (Undecided – Milnerton Ridge, South Africa/Milnerton HS) over Beka Buchukuri and Robert Beer, 8-6.

In singles play, Grabovac added to the Firebird win column by defeating Buchukuri 6-2, 1-0 ret.  In the No. 3 match, Uzcategui came out on top by beating Farres 6-3, 6-2.  The Redhawks claimed their first singles victory with Beer defeating Quiroga 6-3, 6-4. 

With the Firebirds needing just one win to claim the overall match victory, Kiro delivered with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Toledo-Lopez.  Bratke then fell to Emanuel Rauchle 6-0, 6-1.  The day ended with an exciting back and forth contest between Andersson and Thorold.  With Thorold claiming the first game, Andersson then charged back to claim the last two, completing the come-from-behind victory 6-7(7), 6-1, 10-6.

District of Columbia will be back in action at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 5 as they travel to take on NYIT.

UDC – 6, Roberts Wesleyan College – 3

Doubles

1. Grabovac/Andersson def. Farres/Thorold (RWC) 8-4

2. Uzcategui/Kiro def. Buchukuri/Beer (RWC) 8-6

3. Toledo-Lopez/Sadowitz (RWC) def. Quiroga/Bratke 8-2

Singles

1. Aleksandar Grabovac def. Beka Buchukuri (RWC) 6-2, 1-0 ret.

2. Ike Kiro def. Julio Toledo-Lopez (RWC) 6-3, 6-3

3. Miguel Uzcategui def. Charles Farres (RWC) 6-3, 6-2

4. Simon Andersson def. Sam Thorold (RWC) 6-7(7), 6-1, 10-6

5. Robert Beer (RWC) def. Carlos Quiroga 6-3, 6-4

6. Emanuel Rauchle (RWC) def. Simon Bratke 6-0, 6-1

UDC – 6

RWC – 3

Order of Completion

Doubles: 3, 1, 2

Singles: 1, 3, 5, 2, 6, 4

Season Record (W-L): 6 – 2, ECC: 2 – 0