Jan. 20, 2014
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 69 Purdue men's tennis team easily handled Toledo in its season opener, 6-1, Monday on the Basham Courts of the Schwartz Tennis Center. The Boilermakers won four singles matches in straight sets, limiting the Rockets to just six points. It marks the second-straight year that Purdue has begun its season with a win over Toledo.
Aaron Dujovne and Mark Kovacs secured the doubles point for the Boilermakers with a 6-2 win over Garrett Cona and Nicky Wong in the No. 2 spot. They mirrored the No. 3 team of Diego Acosta and Mateus Silva's score against the Rocket tandem of Ben Brocker and Roberto Meza.
In singles action, Purdue's Nos. 3-6 made quick work of their opponent and held them scoreless in three sets. At No. 3, Mark Kovacs, who claimed the Big Ten Singles Championship in the fall, dominated Nicky Wong, 6-1, 6-0. Diego Acosta posted the same scores on Garrett Cona while playing in the No. 5 position. Senior Aaron Dujovne blanked Roberto Menza 6-0 in the first set at the No. 4 singles and followed with a 6-1 win in the second. Rounding out the lineup at No. 6, Mateus Silva registered a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ben Brocker.
The Boilermakers' No. 1 and 2 singles both dropped their first sets, but clawed their way back in the second to force a decisive tiebreaker. Stjepan Sisko got the best of Purdue's No. 1 singles player Szymon Tatarczyk, 6-3, in the first set, but the senior from Gorzyczki, Poland, wouldn't go down without a fight. He took the second set 6-4 and fought to an 11-9 win in the tiebreaker to get the point for the Boilermakers.
Ricky Medinillia, who is ranked 96th, rallied for a 6-3 win in the second after falling to Mark Singnil, 6-2, in the opening set. Despite the momentum he gained from winning the second set, the Rocket proved to be too much for the Purdue freshman, falling 10-3 in the breaker for Toledo's only team point in the match.
The Boilermakers will be back in action on Jan. 25 as they travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to take on No. 53 Cornell. The Big Red boast the No. 40 doubles team in Sam Fleck and Chris Vrabel.
Purdue 6, Toledo 1 | Box Score
Doubles
1: Szymon Tatarczyk/Ricky Medinilla (Purdue) vs. Mark Singnil/Stjepan Sisko (Toledo), 3-3 UF
2: Aaron Dujovne/Mark Kovacs (Purdue) def. Garrett Cona/Nicky Wong (Toledo), 6-2
3: Diego Acosta/Mateus Silva (Purdue) def. Ben Brocker/Roberto Meza (Toledo), 6-2
Singles
1: Szymon Tatarczyk (Purdue) def. Stjepan Sisko (Toledo), 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
2: Mark Singnil (Toledo) def. No. 96 Ricky Medinilla (Purdue), 2-6, 6-3, 10-3
3: Mark Kovacs (Purdue) def. Nicky Wong (Toledo), 6-1, 6-0
4: Aaron Dujovne (Purdue) def. Roberto Meza (Toledo), 6-0, 6-1
5: Diego Acosta (Purdue) def. Garrett Cona (Toledo), 6-1, 6-0
6: Mateus Silva (Purdue) def. Ben Brocker (Toledo), 6-1, 6-2