MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team opened up the Saint Joseph's Invitational on Friday morning in strong fashion, sweeping singles play and grabbing a pair of doubles wins.
 
The Hawks took on players from Chestnut Hill in a hidden dual format, with Othman Bezzaz and John Butler teaming up for a 7-5 win in the second flight and Eli Gan-Dy and Mark Rubin earning a 6-2 win in the third.
 
Ernesto Ruy rolled at love in his first-flight singles match, while Justus Agbo cruised in the second, 6-2, 6-1.  Bezzaz then finished off this third-flight opponent, 6-2, 6-2.
 
Butler was a 7-5, 6-0 winner in the fourth flight before Gan-Dy outlasted his fifth-flight opponent in a supertiebreaker, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 10-8, and Rubin earned a 6-2, 6-3 results in the sixth.
 
The Hawks are slated to meet NJIT on Saturday and Villanova on Sunday; as the weather forecast is unfavorable, check SJUHawks.com and the Hawks' social media channels for updates on the status of play.