LEXINGTON, Ky. – The newest Dawg, Jim Hendrikx, got his first clutch clincher for the Huskies today as UW came out of ITA Kickoff Weekend with a big victory over the Liberty Flames. In a match played at Kentucky’s Boone Indoor Center, the Huskies won a razor thin doubles point and got three singles wins, with Hendrikx putting it away in just his fourth match as a Husky since transferring from Samford.
Washington (3-1) held a 3-2 lead over Liberty but the Flames were closing in on a third point at sixth singles, when Hendrikx earned a crucial break up 6-3 and 5-4 in the second set to finish off Luis Felipe Miguel in straight sets at No. 5 singles to clinch.
Jim’s got that Dawg in him.
The clinching point ??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/q1EIgZiYeJ
— Washington Men’s Tennis (@UW_MTennis) January 28, 2023
The other two singles wins came from Dzianis Zharyn and Cesar Bouchelaghem, who both ran their records to 4-0 on the season thus far. Zharyn trailed early in his first set but rallied at No. 2 against Beau Pelletier to win, 7-5, 6-2. Bouchelaghem was a 6-1, 6-4 winner at No. 3 singles over Deji Thomas-Smith.
Liberty earned wins at No. 1 singles over Han-Chih Lin and at No. 4 over Nedim Suko. UW was missing Rikuto Yamaguchi from its lineup today after he started the first three matches at No. 4. That moved the bottom half of the lineup up a spot and freshman Brett Pearson made his first dual singles start at No. 6, but did not get to finish.
In Friday’s 4-2 loss to Notre Dame, the doubles point came down to one tiebreak at the No. 3 spot and the Huskies fell barely short, missing two match point tries. Today was even closer, with UW needing tiebreak wins at both second and third doubles, and it was able to get it done.
First, Suko and Pearson had a 7-2 win in their breaker against Heaven/Pelletier at No. 2 doubles. Then just like Friday it fell to Lin and Hendrikx. Their tiebreak was up for grabs again, but this time the Husky duo pulled out the 8-6 win to clinch the point for the 1-0 lead.
Washington will have a mid-week home match next Thursday, Feb. 2, against Boise State before going on the road again for three at Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Oregon.
Washington Men’s Tennis
ITA Kickoff Weekend – Consolation
January 28, 2023
Lexington, Ky. | Hillary J. Boone Indoor Tennis Center
Washington – 4
Liberty – 2
Singles
1. Josh Wilson (Lib) def. Han-Chih Lin (UW) – 6-2, 6-2
2. Dzianis Zharyn (UW) def. Beau…
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