PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team ended its skid on Wednesday afternoon, earning a 4-2 win over Villanova at the Legacy Indoor Tennis Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Hawks put away the doubles point early, with Othman Bezzaz and Ernesto Ruy earning a 6-1 win in the top flight.  Justus Agbo and Stergios Achilleas Papadopoulos sealed it with a 6-3 win in the third.
 
• In singles play, the Wildcats drew level with a win in the fifth flight, but Bezzaz and Ruy gave the Hawks a commanding lead.  Bezzaz rallied for a three-set victory in the third flight before Ruy locked up a straight-sets win in the second.
 
• Villanova cut it to a one-point margin with a win in the sixth, but Papadopoulos clinched the match with a third-set tiebreak victory in the fourth flight.
 
HAWK TALK
"The guys came out strong today," head coach Jeff Puhan said.  "Great energy in doubles play gave us the point.  Then, in singles, the guys came to battle.  Ernesto won in straight sets, Othman taking his match in three sets, and Stergios with the clinch in a third set tiebreaker.  It's always great to beat a rival!"
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks visit Drexel on Thursday.
 
RESULTS
 
Saint Joseph's 4, Villanova 2
 
Doubles
1. Othman Bezzaz / Ernesto Ruy (SJU) def. Will Monahan / Thomas Wakefield (VU), 6-1
2. John Butler / Eli Gan-Dy (SJU) led Cooper Gordon / Josh Robinson (VU), 5-4 (unfinished)
3. Justus Agbo / Stergios Achilleas Papadopoulos (SJU) def. Eitan Khromchenko / Noah Winton (VU), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3
 
Singles
1. Robinson (VU) led Agbo (SJU), 2-1 (unfinished)
2. Ruy (SJU) def. Monahan (VU), 6-4, 6-1
3. Bezzaz (SJU) def. Khromchenko (VU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
4. Papadopoulos (SJU) def. Wakefield (VU), 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6)
5. Ryan Nguyen (VU) def. Jack Campbell (SJU), 6-0, 6-1
6. Justin Frattarelli (VU) def. Gan-Dy (SJU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 2, 6, 4