NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt men’s tennis came up with a win against Northwestern on Sunday, posting an 8-2 record thus far for their spring season.
Vanderbilt came to win, taking back-to-back courts in doubles. Joubert Klopper and Michael Ross led the pack, defeating Northwestern’s Presley Thieneman and Greyson Casey. Danil Panarin and Hugo Coquelin weren’t far behind, coming out on top over their opponents and clinching the doubles point for Vandy.
Coach Scott Brown said, “It was a good battle with Northwestern. They responded well after the doubles point and came out with fire, and I’m extremely pleased with the way our guys responded as well.”
Panarin continued his winning streak in singles play, taking Court 1 over his Northwestern opponent in straight sets. On Court 2, Nathan Cox was victorious in straight sets, grabbing another point for the Dores. Coquelin won his match, after Chad Miller retired due to an injury. Ross and Klopper both forced third sets, with Ross defeating Felix Nordby and Klopper defeating his Wildcat opponent, securing the 7-0 win for Vanderbilt.
“Today was a culture win for our team,” Brown said. “It was a test of how strong our culture is after yesterday’s tight match against Michigan State. It was a collective win, top to bottom. We had four team captains and whether they played or not, everyone was leading, so that was great to see.”
“Also want to shout out Joubert and Nathan and how they showed out today after yesterday. They brought their lunch boxes to the court and were ready to work for every point. Now the full focus is on Pepperdine and Lipscomb next Friday.”
Singles
1. Panarin (Vanderbilt) def. Thieneman 6-2, 6-3
2. Cox (Vanderbilt) def. Gleb Blekher 6-4, 6-3
3. Klopper (Vanderbilt) def. Saiprakash Goli 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 10-8
4. Ross (Vanderbilt) def. Nordby 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. Casabon (Vanderbilt) def. Casey 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
6. Coquelin (Vanderbilt) def. Miller 4-2, retired
Doubles
1. Casabon/Cox (Vanderbilt) vs. Blekher/Nordby 5-1
2. Klopper/Ross (Vanderbilt) def. Casey/Thieneman 6-0
3. Coquelin/Panarin (Vanderbilt) def. Goli/Miller 6-1
Up Next: Vanderbilt continues their streak at home, taking on Pepperdine and Lipscomb on Friday.