Men' Tennis Cruises Past Villanova, 6-1

MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team ended its five-match skid in style, dropping local rival Villanova by a 6-1 score at the SJU Tennis Complex on Tuesday.

The Hawks kicked off the match with a clean sweep in doubles play. Senior Andres Urrea and sophomore Peter Dewitt rolled to a 6-2 win in the first flight, while juniors Tristan Boustany and Kyle Chalmers turned in a dominant 6-1 win in the third. Meanwhile, senior Renier Moolman and freshman Dan Tan gritted out a 7-6 (4) win in the second to polish off the sweep.

In singles play, Dewitt dispatched his sixth-flight opponent, 6-0, 6-1, before freshman Andre Fick put the Hawks up 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the fourth flight. Urrea then won his second-flight match in straight sets to secure the victory.

Chalmers and senior Kevin Gates wrapped up the afternoon with three-set wins in the third and fifth flights, respectively.

“It may not have been great coaching, but it was marvelous scheduling to play Villanova the day after the Wildcats won the NCAA basketball championship,” head coach Ian Crookenden said. “The Hawks played with great energy and turned in their best doubles performance to capture the first point of the match.

“Thereafter, it was a typical, hard-fought match between the two rivals and the scales were definitely tilted in our favor when mental stamina was the deciding factor in several singles contests. I feel we are ready for another big day against conference rival La Salle tomorrow.”

The Hawks and Explorers will meet on Wednesday at the SJU Tennis Complex.

Saint Joseph's 6, Villanova 1

Doubles

1. Peter Dewitt / Andres Urrea (SJU) def. Bradley Noyes / Chris Seitz (VU), 6-2

2. Renier Moolman / Dan Tan (SJU) def. William Elmore / Luis Miranda (VU), 7-6 (4)

3. Tristan Boustany / Kyle Chalmers (SJU) def. Thomas Dodson / Matt Phelps (VU), 6-1

Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2

Singles

1. Seitz (VU) def. Moolman (SJU), 7-5, 2-6, 6-0

2. Urrea (SJU) def. Noyes (VU), 7-6 (3), 6-3

3. Chalmers (SJU) def. Miranda (VU), 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3

4. Andre Fick (SJU) def. Dodson (VU), 6-1, 6-1