NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – The 26th-ranked Denison men's tennis team earned their first win of the dual season on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Rhodes College 7-2 in Nicholasville, Ky.
On the doubles courts, the Big Red opened with a pair of wins led by DU's top tandem in Tim Cianciola and Jack Bulger who took down Andrew Morton and Daniel Trudell, 8-7 (8-1). In No. 3 doubles, Jacob Dennen and Hayden McNamara gave Denison a 2-1 lead entering singles play following an 8-7 (8-6) defeat of Frank Stich and Alex Lloyd.
In singles play, the Big Red opened with four-straight wins in No. 1-4 singles, including a pair of straight-set victories for Cianciola and Vlad Rotnov in No. 1 & 2 singles. In the top flight, Rotnov swept regionally-ranked Ritwik Chatterjee, 6-2, 6-4, and Cianciola grounded Phil Lauture 6-0, 6-2.
In No. 3 play, Bulger rallied from a first-set loss to defeat Morton 3-6, 6-1, 10-8. Dennen took down Lloyd on the fourth court, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) and McNamara landed a 6-3, 7-6 win over Stich in No. 6 singles.
Denison will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 23 when they take on Centre College at 12 p.m. in Nicholasville.
