The Drexel University men’s tennis team has certainly managed to turn their season around from the downward trajectory they appeared to be on a little over a month ago. The Dragons have amassed an eight-match win streak since then with their most recent victory coming March 1 against Bucknell University.
The indoor courts of the University of Pennsylvania’s Hecht and Hamlin Tennis Centers once again served as Drexel’s home grounds. The Dragons will begin their outdoor season on Drexel’s outdoor Vidas Courts against St. John’s University March 16.
The doubles matches were scheduled to play out first, with senior Sinan Orhon and freshman Gustav Wogen paired together at the first doubles court. The two made short work of their opponents Bucknell freshman Ethan Jacobs and senior Andrei Vitiuc. The duo of Dragons started the day with a 6-3 win for Drexel, kicking off a train of momentum that would see Drexel sweep all three of their doubles matches.
The second doubles spot was filled by sophomores Xandy Hammitt and Sanil Jagtiani, who took on Bucknell sophomores Max Garramone and Marwan Abaza. The contest was a back-and-forth struggle, with neither of the two duos managing to impose their games on their competitors. Ultimately, Drexel stole the match in the final game, edging the opposing Bisons 7-6.
Drexel earned the shutout at doubles when the third court pairing of junior Youssef Lahlou and freshman Juan Manuel Sanchez put up a winning 6-3 performance against Bucknell freshman Alex Pedrazzini and sophomore Drew Krantz. The pairs exchanged games early on, before Drexel gained a foothold and strung three in a row to claim the win.
The competition moved on to the singles portion where Orhon was back in action at the No. 1 spot. The senior emerged with a victory in a rematch with Jacobs. The two exchanged sets before setting into marathon mode for the third, which saw Orhon gain a late advantage by the narrowest of margins, squeaking out the deciding set 13-11.
Drexel nearly managed to secure a shutout in the singles matches, but their efforts were undone following Orhon’s win, with Junior Alvaro Chammaro’s first match of the day at the second singles court ending in a loss for the upperclassman. Chammaro also went to three sets, but was unable to outlast Marwan Abaza in the third, dropping it 10-6.
Drexel would go on to win the next four matches in a row to put a stamp of dominance over the visiting Bisons. Jagtiani and Hammitt, competing in their second matches of the day, this time at the third and fourth singles, respectively. Both Dragons picked straight set wins, with Jagtiani taking his rematch over Gammarone.
Freshmen Manuel Sanchez and Djordje Janackovic were the other names on the team sheet that picked up wins for the Dragons at their respective spots at fifth and sixth.
Drexel will return March 10 in a non-league contest at Princeton University, where they will be looking to add another high profile win to their already impressive season.