The Wesleyan University men’s tennis team encountered a setback in their non-conference match against the formidable No. 13 Swarthmore team, resulting in a final score of 6-3. The highly competitive event took place at the prestigious Austin Tennis Center in Austin, Texas, as part of the team’s Spring Break play.
Despite the overall loss, notable performances were delivered by the Wesleyan team. Specifically, Harry Portnoy ’24 displayed exceptional skill, securing a crucial singles victory at No. 6. In addition to this, Portnoy, in partnership with Max Litton ’26, triumphed in a doubles match at No. 3, highlighting the team’s resilience and talent.
In the doubles matches, Portnoy and Litton secured the Cardinals’ (1-2 overall) first point of the afternoon by defeating the Garnets’ Aamish Pal and Max Pogorelov with a score of 8-4. However, the Garnet team claimed victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Specifically, Winston Zhang and Andres Fente overcame Harry Collomb ’26 and Chase Kasday ’26 with a score of 8-6, while Michael Melnikov and Purushothan Koduri defeated Ben Mitchell ’24 and JT Bilski ’26 with a score of 8-3.
Turning to the singles matches, Portnoy continued to excel, securing a victory against Fente with a score of 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 6 slot. Mitchell also demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, bouncing back to secure a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Zhang at No. 3 singles, contributing to the Cardinals’ point count. Meanwhile, Collomb engaged in a grueling three-set match against Lalith Suresh, winning the first set but ultimately falling short with a final score of 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Ultimately, the Garnet team secured the victory with four singles wins at No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5, extending their unbeaten streak to 8-0 for the season.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will have the opportunity to regroup and bounce back as they prepare to face No. 39 Concordia (Texas) in Georgetown, Texas on Friday, March 15, with the match commencing at 4 p.m. This upcoming fixture presents another chance for the Wesleyan men’s tennis team to showcase their talent and tenacity as they strive for success in the remainder of their competitive season.