COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team played its first match of the 2017 Spring Season Wednesday evening, falling at No. 3 Ohio State, 4-0.
Although the Vikings dropped the opening doubles point, Cleveland State had a good showing during doubles play, with the No. 2 doubles team of Benjamin Slade and Mirko Radosevic and the No. 3 doubles team of Nico Mostardi and Andre Mick dropping matching 6-4 contests, while Cleveland State's top doubles team of Colton Buffington and Kevin Goth dropped a 6-3 match against a top-60 Ohio State doubles team.
"I thought we played some good doubles today against a tough Ohio State team, and I thought we came out fired up and ready to play which allowed us to handle the pace well and really push the doubles matches. I am encouraged after watching our doubles compete today that we will be able to pick up a lot of doubles points this year and get off to a good start in a lot of matches," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "Singles didn't quite go our way despite a good effort, but it was a good experience for us to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the country, and we will be a better team for it moving forward."
The final three points on the match came at No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles, and No. 4 singles. Three of Ohio State's six singles players were ranked in the top-60, including the second-best player in the nation at the top spot.
Cleveland State will continue its opening week of spring season play on Saturday, January 21, traveling to Duquesne for a 4:00 p.m. contest.
No. 3 Ohio State 4, Cleveland State 0
Doubles
1. #55 Torpegaard/Pollanen (OSU) def. Buffington/Goth (CSU), 6-3
2. Mendez/Tubert (OSU) def. Slade/Radosevic (CSU), 6-4
3. Joyce/Reist (OSU) def. Mostardi/Mick (CSU), 6-4
Singles
1. #2 Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) def. Nico Mostardi (CSU), 6-0, 6-0
2. JJ Wolf (OSU) def. Colton Buffington (CSU), 6-2, 6-1
3. #34 Herkko Pollanen (OSU) vs. William Malm (CSU), 6-2, 2-1, unf.
4. Kyle Seelig (OSU) def. Jack Santilli (CSU), 6-0, 6-0
5. #53 Martin Joyce (OSU) vs. Benjamin Slade (CSU), 6-0, 5-1, unf.
6. Riley Reist (OSU) vs. Mirko Radosevic (CSU), 6-2, 2-1, unf.
