After a string of close defeats, the Texas A&M men’s tennis team looked to close out a two-week homestand strongly against the University of South Florida Bulls and the UT Arlington Mavericks on Monday, March 6. The Aggies, who were playing their third doubleheader of the past week, hoped to improve on their 3-3 record on the homestand and their 4-6 record overall.
The first match of the doubleheader featured a showdown between the Aggies and the Bulls. Looking to make a statement, coach Steve Denton’s Aggie team started strongly and never looked back. Sophomore Giulio Perego and junior Raphael Perot struck first with their 6-2 win on Court 3. The usual duo of Perego and Perot were reunited with great success after pausing their partnership against UTSA.
Seniors Trey Hilderbrand and Noah Schachter then clinched the doubles point for the Aggies on Court 1, thanks to a tight 7-5 win over juniors Davide Tortora and Bruno Oliveira. The win for Hilderbrand and Schachter marks their third win in as many matches, which signifies a strong turnaround in form after only winning three of their first seven matches as a duo this season.
The Aggies continued to dominate proceedings as match play transitioned into singles. Denton’s team raced to set leads on Courts 2 through 6, with only Schachter dropping his first set on Court 1. Then, in the span of just five minutes, the Aggies extended their lead from 1-0 to 4-0, clinching the match thanks to dominant performances by Perot, as well as junior Matthis Ross and senior Guido Marson. Despite having already clinched the match, the Aggies didn’t let up, winning the final three courts still in play. This included an impressive 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (5) turnaround by Schachter on the first court.
The second half of the doubleheader pitted the maroon and white against the Mavericks from the University of Texas at Arlington. The Mavs, who were fresh off a 7-0 sweep of Lamar the previous day, couldn’t keep their momentum early on against the Aggies.
Hilderbrand and Schachter extended their winning streak to four matches after racing past the freshman duo of Santiago Giamichelle and Dante Teramo 6 games to 1. Ross and sophomore Luke Casper closed off the doubles point with their 6-3 win on Court 3. Junior Kenner Taylor and Perego accounted for A&M’s only loss of the night by falling 2-6 on Court 2.
The Aggies continued to roll in singles, this time quickly winning the first set on all six courts. Taylor got the first win of singles play with his 6-2, 6-0 victory on Court 6. The next two courts quickly followed suit to give the Aggies a 4-0 sweep and the win.
Next up for the Aggies is a pair of conference matches on the road, both against the Bulldogs. They’ll face No. 9 Georgia first on Thursday, March 9, before heading to Starkville, Mississippi on Saturday, March 11.