Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's tennis team won its first match of the season at the Courtside Racquet Club against Lafayette College on Saturday evening.
The Seahawks swept the doubles point and never looked back, running out to a 4-0 clinch before the remaining matches settled the final tally, 5-2 for Wagner.
Junior Rodrigo Perez led the way for the Seahawks with wins at #1 singles and #2 doubles. In singles, Perez defeated Lafayette's Arman Ganchi, 6-3, 6-2. In doubles, the junior combination of Perez and Odeda Arazza came together for a 6-4 doubles triumph over Lafayette's Nash Lovallo and Brady Wisdom.
Seniors Tejasvi Mehra and Omar Loutfy clinched the doubles point for the Seahawks with a 6-4 win at the #1 spot. Loutfy was first off the singles courts when injury forced Wisdom to retire at #6 singles. Loutfy was up a break, 4-3 in the first set. Mehra was the team clincher with a clinical 6-2, 6-2 win over Lovallo at #2 singles.
Graduate student Philip Lynch pulled out two deciding tiebreakers on the day. His 7-6 (3) win at #3 doubles with partner and team captain, senior Jai Sai Venkatramana, preceded a 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 win at #3 singles over Lafayette's Jake Magnusson.
The Leopards found late points at #4 and #5 singles from Nick McKenzie and Josh Wolfe, respectively.
The win for Wagner is its first over a Patriot League opponent since a March 2019 triumph at Navy. The victory also marks the first Wagner win for new Director of Tennis, Jeffrey Menaker.
"Credit to our group and some nice senior leadership this week. They wanted this one for Wagner. It won't be the last we see and I'm looking forward to more," said Menaker following the road victory.
Next up, both men's and women's Wagner tennis programs will take on Colgate at the College of Staten Island Tennis Courts, this Friday at noon.
Wagner tennis continues selling digital raffle tickets. Which can be purchased using the link above.
All ticket proceeds will go to the Wagner College men's and women's tennis programs.
Doubles
1. Tejasvi Mehra & Omar Loutfy (Wagner) def Arman Ganchi & Jake Magnusson (LC), 6-4
2. Rodrigo Perez & Odeda Arazza (Wagner) def Nash Lovallo & Brady Wisdom (LC), 6-4
3. Philip Lynch & Jai Sai Venkatramana (Wagner) def Davis Esslinger & Nick McKenzie (LC), 7-6 (3)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Rodrigo Perez (Wagner) def Arman Ganchi (LC), 6-3, 6-2
2. Tejasvi Mehra (Wagner) def Nash Lovallo (LC), 6-2, 6-2
3. Philip Lynch (Wagner) def Jake Magnusson (LC), 4-6, 6-3, 10-8
4. Nick McKenzie (LC) def Odeda Arazza (Wagner), 6-3, 6-3
5. Josh Wolfe (LC) def Jai Sai Venkatramana (Wagner), 6-3, 6-1
6. Omar Loutfy (Wagner) def Brady Wisdom (LC), 4-3 ret.
Order of finish: 6, 1, 2, 4, 5, 3
RESULTS
Wagner 5, Lafayette 2
