MADISON, Wis. – The 41st-ranked Drake University men's tennis team defeated Wisconsin, 5-2, for the Bulldogs' second victory over a Big Ten team this year, at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on Friday night (Feb. 13).
Drake claimed the doubles point with seniors Alen Salibasic (Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina) and Ben Mullis (Leicestershire, England) making quick work of Darius MacKenzie and Lamar Remy, 6-2, at No. 3. Freshman Bayo Philips (Houston, Texas) and junior Ben Lott (Newcastle, England) took care of Jakhongir Jalaov and Alexander Kokorev, winning 6-4 at No. 1. Seniors Matt Frost (Cambridge, England) and Ravi Patel (London, England) went unfinished against 48th-ranked Josef Dodridge and Jose Carranza with a score of 3-3.
The Badgers tied it up at one with a win at No. 6 singles, but Drake's Salibasic, who is ranked 54the in the country, put the Bulldogs back on top with a straight sets win over Alexander Kokorev, 7-5, 6-1. A win a No. 4 allowed UW to tie it up, 2-2, one last time. The Bulldogs closed out the match with three three-set victories. First by freshman Calum MacGeoch (Edinburgh, Scotland) at No. 5, who defeated MacKenzie, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3; and then Lott, who is ranked 32nd, downed Jalalov, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, at No. 2. Frost topped off the night with a gutsy 7-5, 5-7, 7-5; win over Remy at No. 3.
The Bulldogs' schedule doesn't get any easier as they face off with No. 29 North Carolina State on Saturday (Feb. 14) at 12 p.m. at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
#41 Drake 5, Wisconsin 2
Feb 13, 2015 at Madison, Wis. (Nielsen Tennis Stadium)
Singles
1. #54 Alen Salibasic (DU) def. Alexander Kokorev (WIS) 7-5, 6-1
2. #32 Ben Lott (DU) def. Jakhongir Jalalov (WIS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
3. Matt Frost (DU) def. Lamar Remy (WIS) 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
4. Josef Dodridge (WIS) def. Ravi Patel (DU) 6-2, 6-4
5. Calum MacGeoch (DU) def. Darius Mackenzie (WIS) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
6. Tomas Pitra (WIS) def. Ben Mullis (DU) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles
1. Bayo Philips/Ben Lott (DU) def. Jakhongir Jalalov/Alexander Kokorev (WIS) 6-4
2. #48 Josef Dodridge/Jose Carranza (WIS) vs. Matt Frost/Ravi Patel (DU) 3-3, unfinished
3. Alen Salibasic/Ben Mullis (DU) def. Darius Mackenzie/Lamar Remy (WIS) 6-2
Match Notes:
Drake 9-2; National ranking #41
Wisconsin 1-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,1,4,5,2,3)
