MEN'S TENNIS

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

Men's Tennis Outlasts Duquesne

Mike Zappone

UB opened play by taking two of three doubles matches to earn the first point. The point was secured as the number three team of seniors Matt Kennedy (Mississauga, Ontario/Erindale) and Mike Zappone (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) were forced to go to a tiebreaker against Duquesne's Michael Belmonte and Rob Ojeda. The UB duo, playing for the first time together this season, pulled out the 7-3 tiebreaker to win the pro-set match, 9-8, and give the Bulls a 1-0 lead. UB got into position to claim the doubles point as the number two team of Alejandro Galindo (Torreon, Mexico/Preparatoria Tec) and Nikesh Singh Panthlia (George Town, Malaysia/BMK Penang Free School) breezed past Michael Ortega and Blake Williams, 8-1.

Duquesne averted a clean sweep of the doubles matches as the number one team of Devon Peightal and Adam Townsend defeated UB's Yules Hadisubroto (Jakarta, Indonesia/SMUN 21) and Joe Popielarczyk (Buffalo, NY/McKinley), 8-4.

The singles matches were tighter than the scores would indicate with the numbers one and two matches being decided in third-set super-tiebreakers. Both matches were finished after UB had clinched the overall victory. At number one, Mike Rockman (Toronto, Ontario/Thornlea) trailed Peightal throughout much of the 90-minute first set but forced a tiebreaker, eventually falling 8-6 after leading 6-4. From there, Rockman righted the ship and blew past Peightal, 6-1 in the second set and 10-3 in the super-tiebreaker. Singh Panthlia also had his hands full with Ortega, dropping the opening set, 6-4, before winning a 7-5 second-set tiebreaker and setting up the super-tiebreaker which Singh Panthlia won 10-8.

Matt Kennedy

The remainder of the matches were won by the Bulls in straight sets. At number three, Hadisubroto downed Paul Clough, 6-3, 6-4. Kennedy scored a "double-bagel" win over Townsend, 6-0, 6-0, at number four. Number five Albert Alant (Pretoria, South Africa/Niskayuna (NY)) knocked off Ojeda, 6-4, 6-3 while number six Fred Duncan (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) breezed past Williams, 6-4, 6-1.

In an eight-game pro-set exhibition match, Popielarczyk defeated Belmonte, 8-5.

The Bulls now embark on their spring break trip to Hilton Head, SC. The Bulls will play four matches in three days while in the Palmetto State.

Buffalo 7, Duquesne 0

Doubles

1 Devon Peightal/Adam Townsend (DU) d. Yules Hadisubroto/Joe Popielarczyk (UB), 8-4

2 Alejandro Galindo/Nikesh Singh Panthlia (UB) d. Michael Ortega/Blake Williams (DU), 8-1

3 Matt Kennedy/Mike Zappone (UB) d. Michael Belmonte/Rob Ojeda (DU), 9-8 (3)

Order of finish: 2 1 3

Singles

1 Mike Rockman (UB) d. Devon Peightal (DU), 6-7 (6), 6-1, 1-0 (10-3)

2 Nikesh Singh Panthlia (UB) d. Michael Ortega (DU), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 1-0 (10-8)

3 Yules Hadisubroto (UB) d. Paul Clough (DU), 6-3, 6-4

4 Matt Kennedy (UB) d. Adam Townsend (DU), 6-0, 6-0

5 Albert Alant (UB) d. Rob Ojeda (DU), 6-4, 6-3

6 Fred Duncan (UB) d. Blake Williams (DU), 6-4, 6-1

E Joe Popielarczyk (UB) d. Michael Belmonte (DU), 8-5

Order of finish: 4 5 3 6 2 1