Men's Tennis Rebounds with 4-3 Victory Wednesday over Saint Joseph's

Wednesday, April 5

Vidas Courts

2 p.m.

Drexel University

Saint Joseph's

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Men's Tennis Rebounds with 4-3 Victory Wednesday over Saint Joseph's

4/5/2017 8:22:00 PM | Men's Tennis

PHILADELPHIA -- The Drexel tennis teams got back to their winning ways Wednesday at Vidas Courts against Saint Joseph's as the men earned a 4-3 victory and the women won, 6-1.

With the win, the men's team is now 11-6 (0-0 CAA). The Drexel women's squad improves to 14-6 (1-1 CAA), which is one win away from tying the program's season record.

The men's team earned a tough 4-3 win over the Hawks that came down to the doubles point. Drexel earned the point with a 6-2 win from Hamza Laalej and Youssef Lahlou at No. 2 as well as a 6-4 win from Balaji Lakshmanan and Alex Zenonos at No. 3. With the doubles point in hand, all the Dragons needed to do was split the singles matches to win the overall match, which they did. Laalej outlasted Kyle Chalmers in the top spot, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, while Lakshmanan cruised past Andre Fick at No. 2, 6-2, 6-2. In the fifth spot, Alex Zenonos earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over Tristan Boustany for the Drexel victory.

Drexel's women bounced back from a tough week to sweep the Hawks, 7-0. In doubles, the Dragons got 6-1 wins from the pairings of Ghita Benhadi and Kendra Bunch as well as Lea Winkler and Honami Yazawa. In singles play, it was more of the same dominance. Yazawa battled to a 7-5, 7-6 (3) win over Claire Minnoe in the top spot, followed by Bunch's dominant 6-0, 6-4 win over Maureen Devlin at No. 2. In the third spot, Benhadi downed Isis Gill-Reid, 6-1, 6-2, followed by Winkler's 6-1, 6-1, win over Alex Zachem at No. 4. The win for Winkler was the 60 th of her career, good for second most in program history and puts within one of tying Rebecca Murphy for the program record. Closing out the match in the fifth ladder position was a 6-0, 6-2 win from Clary Rodriguez Cruz over Katherine Devlin.

The Dragons will make a quick trip to Long Island on Friday to play Hofstra before returning home Sunday for Senior Day against Delaware.

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Men: Drexel 4, Saint Joseph's 3
Singles
Hamza Laalej (DU) DEF Kyle Chalmers (SJU), 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
Tim Stierle (SJU) DEF Sinan Orhon (DU), 6-4, 6-3
Balaji Lakshmanan (DU) DEF Andre Fick (SJU), 6-2, 6-2
Beekman Schaeffer (SJU) DEF Youssef Lahlou (DU), 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-0
Alex Zenonos (DU) DEF Tristan Boustany (SJU), 6-3, 6-4
Peter DeWitt (SJU) DEF Daniil Ginzburg (DU), 6-3, 6-2

Doubles
Chalmers & Stierle (SJU) DEF Ashok & Orhon (DU), 6-3
Laalej & Lahlou (DU) DEF Fick & Van Erven (SJU), 6-2
Lakshmanan & Zenonos (DU) DEF DeWitt & Tan (SJU), 6-4

Women: Drexel 6, Saint Joseph's 1
Singles
Honami Yazawa (DU) DEF Claire Minnoe (SJU), 7-5, 7-6 (3)
Kendra Bunch (DU) DEF Maureen Devlin (SJU), 6-0, 6-4
Ghita Benhadi (DU) DEF Isis Gill-Reid (SJU), 6-1, 6-2
Lea Winkler (DU) DEF Alex Zachem (SJU), 6-1, 6-1
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) DEF Katherine Devlin (SJU), 6-0, 6-2
Sarah Contrata (SJU) DEF Ryshena Providence (DU), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
Minnoe & Zachem (SJU) DEF Providence & Rodriguez Cruz (DU), 7-6 (2)
Benhadi & Bunch (DU) DEF M. Devlin & Gill-Reid (SJU), 6-1
Winkler & Yazawa (DU) DEF K. Devlin & Contrata (SJU), 6-1