By Chris Spiker
Contributing Writer
The men’s tennis team defeated St. Francis (Pa.) 5-2 and the women lost two matches to Navy, 7-0, and St. Francis (Pa.), 5-2. The men and women host Robert Morris on Friday with matches starting at 1 p.m. The women host Slippery Rock on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Robert Morris travels to Olean after losing at Dayton and Wright State last weekend. The Slippery Rock women travel to Olean for their first match of the spring season.
Coach Michael Bates said this weekend’s matches are a chance for victories and experience for freshmen.
“These are matches that we have a chance to do well in,” Bates said.
The men’s squad won all three doubles matches and four of six singles matches. Junior Elliot Fanshel led the Bonnies’ singles players, defeating Andres Rosa 7-6 (2), 6-1 in first singles. The Bonnies’ top doubles pairing of seniors Oscar Yanez and Luis Guevara defeated Rosa and Lawson Barter 8-3.
Bates said he believes his men’s doubles teams need to work on consistency despite a doubles sweep. Fanshel and junior Javier Ortiz trailed 5-0 before clinching a tiebreak victory in second doubles, 9-8 (3).
“We need to do the things that will win us the doubles points and do them consistently,” Bates said.
Guevara notched a singles win, defeating Sergio Caravajal 6-3, 6-4. Ortiz won 3-2 after Chris Jimenez retired due to injury. Sophomore Trevor Haskell defeated Barter in a three-set match, 6-0, 4-6, 10-6.
Yanez lost in second singles, 6-1, 7-6 (5). Freshman Celso de Vera Rehberger lost in fifth singles, 6-3, 6-4.
Bates said the team needs to be more consistent in singles matches.
“We need to attack when we get opportunities and finish on points,” Bates said.
Sophomore Marissa Brossard presented the most difficult challenge for Navy on Saturday, forcing Erin Snook into a first-set tiebreaker. However, Snook held off Brossard for a 7-6 (3), 6-4 second singles victory. The Midshipmen swept all three doubles matches and only lost nine games in the other five singles matches.
Brossard and sophomore Fatya Amiri led the Bonnies on Sunday against the Red Flash, scoring SBU’s two points in singles. Amiri defeated Rafaela Panizza 6-2, 6-2 in first singles. Brossard defeated Shivani Patel 6-3, 6-1 in second singles. The sophomore duo fell to Panizza and Lucy Jasso 8-4 in first doubles.
Despite the two losses, Bates has confidence in the long-term growth of his inexperienced women’s squad.
“As long as we continue to work hard and get the effort, that’s all I’m worried about,” Bates said.
Last Friday, the Atlantic 10 coaches picked the men to finish 13th out of 14 teams and the women to finish 15th out of 16.
Bates believes in the talent and heart of his team over a coaches poll.
“I don’t care what we are predicted to finish, I care about where we finish,” Bates said.
