Men’s tennis falls to defending champion Virginia

The University of Virginia earned three straight set victories in singles play to beat Temple 4-3 on Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Sophomore Juan Araoz readies to hit a volley back to his teammate during practice at the Student Pavilion on Oct. 25. | SYDNEY SCHAEFER / FILE PHOTO

Temple (1-1) lost, 4-3, to the University of Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Cavaliers (2-0), who are ranked No. 12 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, won four of the six singles matches to claim a victory.

Temple played the match without junior Uladzimir Dorash, who had a 15-12 singles record and won 18 doubles matches during the 2016-17 season. Dorash suffered a shoulder injury in Friday’s win against Morgan State University.

Temple took the doubles point to start Sunday’s match. Junior Alberto Caceres Casas and senior Thomas Sevel won their match against redshirt freshman Ammar Alhaqbani and freshman Matthew Lord. Sophomore Juan Araoz and freshman Mark Wallner won their match, 6-4.

Virginia earned three straight set victories in singles play. Freshman Gianni Ross beat Araoz, 6-3, 6-4, in the second flight. Junior Aswin Lizen beat Caceres Casas, 6-1, 6-1, in the third flight. Alhaqbani beat sophomore Eric Biscoveanu in the fourth flight.

Virginia earned the decisive victory in the fifth flight, where freshman Kyrylo Tsygura beat Wallner in three sets. Tsygura and Lizen won Virginia’s lone doubles match. Sevel and sophomore Francisco Bohorquez won the Owls’ lone singles matches.

Virginia, which has won four of the past five Division I titles including the past three, will continue play on Saturday against Texas Tech University. The Red Raiders, who include former Temple tennis player Artem Kapshuk, are No. 25 in the ITA poll.

Temple’s next match is on Friday against St. Francis College at Legacy Tennis Center in East Falls. St. Francis hasn’t played a match in the spring semester. The Owls haven’t lost a home match since the 2013-14 season.

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