Bulls Fly Past Dayton at Hilton Head

UB men's tennis downs Atlantic 10 opponent by 4-3 margin

Albert Alant

HILTON HEAD, SC - The University at Buffalo men's tennis team scored a 4-3 victory over Dayton on Tuesday night to open its spring break matches in Hilton Head, SC. The Bulls improved to 6-4 overall and have posted 3-0 mark against Atlantic 10 opposition this season. Dayton is now 6-5.

The Bulls started out slow, dropping the doubles point. UB's lone win in the doubles competition was at number three as Matt Kennedy (Mississauga, Ontario/Erindale) and Fred Duncan (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) defeated David Peyton and Brad Roby, 8-6. The Flyers claimed the doubles point with victories over the Bulls at the first and second spots. At number one, UB's tandem of Yules Hadisubroto (Jakarta, Indonesia/SMUN 21) and Nikesh Singh Panthlia (George Town, Malaysia/BMK Penang Free School) tied their match at 6-6 against Tom Murphy and Jamison Downs but lost the final two games for the 8-6 Dayton decision. Mike Rockman (Toronto, Ontario/Thornlea) and Albert Alant (Pretoria, South Africa/Niskayuna (NY)) also put up a strong fight in the number two match, but lost to James O'Connell and Rex Cabrera, 9-7.

Octavian Stane

UB relied on the bottom half of its singles lineup to pull out the match, scoring victories in the number four, five and six slots as well as a win at number two. Kennedy tied the match at 1-1 as he downed Peyton, 6-1, 7-5. Octavian Stane (Toronto, Ontario/Leaside), seeing his first dual-meet action of the season, scored a second-set tiebreaker victory en route to a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Roby in the number six match to give the Bulls a lead they would not relinquish. Singh Panthlia added to the UB lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win over O'Connell at number two and Alant clinched the match for the Bulls at number four. After a tight first set against Downs that Alant took 7-5, the UB junior opened up a 5-0 lead in the second set, winning 6-2 and giving the Bulls their third straight dual-meet triumph.

Number one player Rockman dropped a 7-6 (6), 6-3 decision to Murphy and Hadisubroto fell in three sets to Cabrera, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, at number three as Dayton closed the gap to the final margin.

UB faces Division II opponent Bloomsburg at 8:00 am on Wednesday morning in Hilton Head.

Buffalo 4, Dayton 3

Doubles

1 Tom Murphy/Jamison Downs (UD) d. Yules Hadisubroto/Nikesh Singh Panthlia (UB), 8-6

2 James O'Connell/Rex Cabrera (UD) d. Mike Rockman/Albert Alant (UB), 9-7

3 Matt Kennedy/Fred Duncan (UB) d. David Peyton/Brad Roby (UD), 8-6

Order of finish: 1 3 2

Singles

1 Tom Murphy (UD) d. Mike Rockman (UB), 7-6 (6), 6-3

2 Nikesh Singh Panthlia (UB) d. James O'Connell (UD), 6-3, 6-3

3 Rex Cabrera (UD) d. Yules Hadisubroto (UB), 6-1, 1-6, 6-3

4 Albert Alant (UB) d. Jamison Downs (UD), 7-5, 6-2

5 Matt Kennedy (UB) d. David Peyton (UD), 6-1, 7-5

6 Octavian Stane (UB) d. Brad Roby (UD), 6-3, 7-6 (4)

Order of finish: 5 6 2 1 4 3

03/15/2006