EMMITSBURG, Md. – The Merrimack College men's tennis team won its first two Division I matches on Saturday with a pair of 7-0 victories in Maryland against both Mount St. Mary's and Loyola (Md.). The program began the day against the Mountaineers, winning its first Northeast Conference (NEC) bout in its first attempt during the Warriors' inaugural Division I season. The team then shifted over to Baltimore, Md. where it blanked the Greyhounds, 7-0, in non-conference play.
Senior
Alex Fedorov won all four of his matches on Saturday, moving into second place in school history with 118 career wins. He needs nine more to break Chris Barnhart's school record of 126 wins. The Warriors are now 3-3 (1-0 NEC) on the season and will have one more match this weekend, facing La Salle tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 7, Mount St. Mary's 0
Score: Merrimack 7, Loyola (Md.) 0
Records: Merrimack (3-3, 1-0 NEC) | Mount St. Mary's (1-6, 0-2 NEC) | Loyola (2-2)
Location: Emmitsburg, Md. (MSM) | Baltimore, Md. (Loyola)
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack began Saturday with a doubles sweep at Mount St. Mary's. Fedorov and senior Denis Davydov claimed the top flight, 6-4, sophomores Jonathan Garcia and Alec Mackay Rodriguez won at No. 2, 6-2, and sophomore Conrad Koch joined freshman Pedro de Godoy Mancini in a 6-2 drubbing at No. 3
- Those same six players took the courts during singles, and posted straight-set wins across the board. Davydov dropped just one game each (6-1, 6-1) in his win at No. 1, Garcia impressed at second singles (6-1, 6-3) and Koch handled the third flight easily (6-2, 6-2). Fedorov handed his opponent a shutout in the second set at No. 4 (6-2, 6-0), Mancini did the same at No. 5 (6-1, 6-0) and Mackay Rodriguez rounded out the group with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph at No. 6
- In the nightcap, the Warriors prevailed at first and second doubles to claim the doubles point over the Greyhounds. Davydov and Fedorov won their second match of the day at first doubles, 6-2, and the pairing of Garcia and Mackay Rodriguez notched a 6-3 win at No. 2
- Singles was more contested against the Greyhounds than it was against the Mountaineers, but a sweep occurred nonetheless. Mackay Rodriguez staked Merrimack to a 2-0 lead in the match with a dominant win at sixth singles (6-1, 6-1). Garcia's match ended next at second singles, 6-4 and 6-1, to move Merrimack within one point of clinching the match
- Koch served as the clincher, needing one more game to win his match than Garcia (6-4, 6-2). Davydov needed a second-set tiebreak to win at the top flight in two sets (6-3, 7-6 (3)), while fifth and fourth singles played out in three sets. De Godoy Mancini split won his opener but falter in his second to force a 10-point breaker, which he won in back-and-forth fashion, 12-10. Fedorov forced a 10-point breaker at No. 4 with a 6-1 second-set win, and won the tiebreaker, 10-7, to clinch the match
Up Next
Merrimack visits La Salle tomorrow night for a 6:30 p.m. match in Philadelphia, Pa.
