The University of Alabama men’s tennis team followed up a season-opening double-header on Friday with another home double-header Monday night where the team continued a strong start to the season by sweeping UAB and Samford. The two wins give the Crimson Tide a 3-1 record to start out the season.
The day started with a match against UAB, where the Crimson Tide secured a 4-3 victory. Alabama dominated the doubles portion of the match, with junior Hayes Brewer and senior Becker O’Shaughnessey winning their matchup against UAB’s Mitchell Martell and Kenton Parton 6-1. Freshman Spencer Richey and sophomore Matthew Rossouw earned the double point for Bama by winning 6-3 over Henry Paiste and Trey McCombs. Sophomore Korey Lovett and freshman Mazen Osama did not get to finish their match, but were leading 4-3 when play ended.
In the singles portion, Lovett cruised to victory against Martell, 6-3, 6-1. UAB scored their first point of the day when Eric Komati defeated sophomore Danny Kerznerman 6-3, 6-3. O’Shaugnessey then gave Alabama a 3-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Stepan Vancurik.
UAB refused to go away, with Parton picking up a 6-4, 6-4 win over Rossouw. However, Alabama sophomore Sam Edwards clinched the win for the Crimson Tide with a tough 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win in his first action of the day. UAB’s Oliver Poysti delivered a third point for the Blazers with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win over junior Nikko Madregallejo.
“It was pretty exciting [clinching the win],” Edwards said. “That was my first time clinching a pretty tight match, and it gives me and the team confidence just getting it done even though we weren’t playing our best.”
In the second match of the day, Alabama was able to deliver a 6-1 win over Samford. The doubles point again went to Bama, with Lovett and sophomore Grayson Goldin defeating Trey Carter and Leonard Gerch 6-2, and Richey and Rossouw also delivering a 6-2 win over Jake Faundez and Eduardo Lourido Sanchez.
Alabama continued its dominant start by taking all six first sets. O’Shaugnessey picked up his second singles victory of the day, taking down Justin Ghavami 6-4, 6-1.
“It was a good day overall,” O’Shaugnessey said. “We got a lot of tennis in, and I feel like we got a lot better, so it was pretty nice.”
Lovett earned his second singles win of the day and fourth overall in taking down Carter 6-3, 6-1. Goldin followed it up with a match-clinching 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Gerch. Alabama continued its success with Osama’s 6-3, 7-5 win over Fares Kilani before Samford earned its first point with Faundez beating Edwards 6-3, 3-6, 10-7. The Crimson Tide finished off the day with Richey earning a very hard-fought 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-8 win over Lourido Sanchez.
Head coach Dan Husack was very pleased with the way his team played on the day, especially O’Shaughnessey and Lovett.
“Very happy with how hard they fought today. They were definitely tested, and some guys who don’t usually play all the time got to get in there, which was great to see,” Husack said. “Korey and Becker played two singles and two doubles today which was tremendous for them. They led our team.”
The team will be back in action Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, when they compete in the North Florida Invite.
