Men's Tennis Outlasts Duquesne

UB defeats visiting Dukes, 7-0

Mike Zappone

WILLIAMSVILLE, NY - The University at Buffalo men's tennis team defeated visiting Duquesne University, 7-0, Saturday night at the Village Glen Tennis Center. The Bulls improved to 5-4 overall while the Dukes fell to 7-10.

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

03/11/2006