Huskies Stumble against Ashland
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech men's tennis team fell to Ashland University in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown 7-0 Friday at the Gates Tennis Center. This was the first of two matches for the Huskies this weekend as they wrap up the regular season on Saturday at home against Wayne State.
"I was very proud of our effort from our players today against a very good Ashland team," Michigan Tech Head Coach Kevin Kalinec said. "We've seen some good progress throughout the course of the season and I thought that was the case in today's match as well. There were some solid performances in singles and I thought Juan [Felipe Chica] played a good match in the No. 5 spot today. We are excited to get back out on the court tomorrow against Wayne State as we look to finish the season strong."
Michigan Tech (2-12, 0-7 GLIAC) faced a 1-0 deficit following the doubles portion of Friday's match with Ashland (10-10, 3-4 GLIAC). In No. 1 doubles, senior Mario Neto and freshman Siddhesh Mahadeshwar went toe to toe with Stuart Brdicka and Jordan Phelps of the Eagles. Unfortunately, it would be Ashland's duo that came out on top 7-5.
The Eagles were able to claim wins in the other two doubles contests as well to earn the early point. Sophomore Nico Caviglia and sophomore Ignacio Carbajosa fell in No. 2 doubles to Priyank Soni and Stanislaw Grzeslo 6-0 while senior Juan Felipe Chica and freshman Harry Becht came up just short to Colten Clark and Tche Kun Teng in No 3 doubles 6-3.
There were some close scores in singles Friday with Felipe Chica going three sets against Teng of Ashland in the No. 5 spot. Felipe Chica jumped in front in the match with a 7-5 set one win, but Teng recovered in the second set for a 6-1 victory. The two players traded points in set three before Teng pulled away late for a 10-6 decision in his favor.
Carbajosa held his own against Jordan Phelps in No. 3 singles and remained on his heels throughout the match. Phelps ended up slipping past Carbajosa for the win though 7-5, 6-3. In No. 4 singles, Mahadeshwar competed well against Clark, especially in the second set. Clark got the foothold with a 6-0 victory in set one and had to hold off Mahadeshwar in the second 7-6.
In No. 1 singles, Soni topped Neto 6-1, 6-2 and Brdicka got past Caviglia 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Becht battled Grzelso in No. 6 singles and ended up falling 6-3, 6-1 on Friday.
The Huskies are back on the court Saturday morning when they entertain Wayne State University at the Gates Tennis Center. It's also Senior Day and Tech will be honoring Mario Neto and Juan Felipe Chica prior to the match which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. eastern time.
