KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Toledo men's tennis team pulled off an historic victory on Sunday afternoon, knocking off four-time defending Mid-American Conference Champion Western Michigan for the first time in the 26-year tenure of Head Coach
Al Wermer in a 6-1 decision on the enemy's court in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Rockets won the doubles point and then captured five of six singles matches for their fifth-straight win, improving to 14-5 overall with a 6-2 record in league play. WMU falls to 11-9, 7-2 MAC.
"What can I say," Wermer commented after the match. "The guys were locked-in and locked together again for another big win."
One Rocket with another big individual victory was junior
Pawit Sornlaksup who stretched his winning streak from the No. 1 court to 39-straight matches. Sornlaksup also remains defeated in MAC play and has won 20-straight league dual matches. After winning his first set vs. Benjamin George, Sornlaksup trailed 5-4 in the second set but surged ahead to win 7-5.
Adam Kovac won the first singles match in a two-set decision from the No. 3 court and was followed by
Marko Galic's two-set victory at the No. 4 court.
Matias Olivero got his revenge over Jackson Boone and won the No. 5 court in two sets to clinch match point for Toledo.
Luis Kleinschnitz had a come-from-behind super-tiebreaker win at the No. 6 court to put UT ahead in the match 5-0.
On the doubles courts, Galic and Kovac won at the No. 2 spot and the point was clinched by Sornlaksup and
Krzysztof Wetoszka at the top court.
WMU's only win was from a two-set decision at the No. 2 court.
Toledo will close out the regular season with two matches at home next weekend, starting with Buffalo on Friday, April 14 and then Binghamton on Sunday, April 16.
Toledo 6, Western Michigan 1
Doubles
1.
Pawit Sornlaksup/
Krzysztof Wetoszka (TOL) 6-4
2.
Marko Galic/
Adam Kovac (TOL) 6-2
3.
Luis Kleinschnitz/
Matias Olivero (TOL) 5-4, unfinished
Singles
1
Pawit Sornlaksup (TOL) 6-2, 7-5
2. Anton Arzhankin (WMU) 6-3, 7-6(1)
3.
Adam Kovac (TOL)6-3, 6-2
4.
Marko Galic (TOL) 6-2, 6-1
5.
Matias Olivero (TOL) 6-1, 6-3
6.
Luis Kleinschnitz (TOL) 1-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-5)