DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's tennis team opened the 2017 season with a pair of victories on Saturday as the Bulldogs defeated George Washington 6-1 and Northern Illinois 4-0 at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
 
The Bulldogs worked quickly as Drake took care of the GW in just over two hours.

Vinny Gillespie and Calum MacGeoch cruised to a 6-2 win, while Ben Clark and Tom Hands defeated Chris Fletcher and Jakub Behun, 6-3, to clinch the doubles point for the Bulldogs.
 
Hands kept his momentum from doubles into single as he rolled past Dennis Afanasev, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. At No. 6, Ben Wood won his first eight games enroute to a 6-0, 7-5 win, giving Drake a 3-0 lead. Gillespie, who is ranked 73rd nationally, sealed the win for the Bulldogs with strong 6-3, 6-4 victory.
 
In Drake's nightcap against NIU, the Bulldogs once again won the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Gillespie put together a dominating performance to beat Georg Lundkvist, 6-2, 6-3. Freshman Barny Thorold won his first collegiate career singles match, beating Tom Hjertonsson 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4, to give Drake a 3-0 lead. Clark clinched the Bulldog victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Louis-Philipp Hamel at No. 6 singles.
 
The Bulldogs will head to the Lone Star State on Jan. 28 to take on host Texas in the first of two matches at the ITA Kick-off Weekend event. Drake will play either Rice or Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 29.
 
Drake 6, George Washington 1
Jan. 21, 2017 at Des Moines, Iowa (Roger Knapp Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. #73 Gillespie, Vinny (DU) def. Julius Tverijonas (GW) 6-3, 6-4

2. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Chris Reynolds (GW) 7-6, 2-6, 1-0 (10-7)

3. Chris Fletcher (GW) def. Stride, Ben (DU) 2-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-6)

4. Hands, Tom (DU) def. Dennis Afanasev (GW) 6-2, 6-1

5. Clark, Ben (DU) def. William Tutecky (GW) 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6)

6. Wood, Ben (DU) def. C. Hadjigeorgiou (GW) 6-0, 7-5

 

Doubles competition

1. Gillespie, Vinny/MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Julius Tverijonas/Chris Reynolds (GW) 6-2

2. Fernando Sala/C. Hadjigeorgiou (GW) def. Stride, Ben/Thorold, Barnaby (DU) 7-6 (7-2)

3. Clark, Ben/Hands, Tom (DU) def. Chris Fletcher/Jakub Behun (GW) 6-3

 

Match Notes

George Washington 0-1

Drake 1-0

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,6,1,5,2,3)

 
Drake 4, Northern Illinois 0
Jan. 21, 2017 at Des Moines, Iowa (Roger Knapp Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. Gillespie, Vinny (DU) def. Lundkvist, Georg (NIU) 6-2, 6-3

2. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) vs. Marbach, Eric (NIU) 6-7, 0-1, unfinished

3. Stride, Ben (DU) vs. Schweiger Muzar, Bor (NIU) 7-5, 4-2, unfinished

4. Thorold, Barnaby (DU) def. Hjertonsson, Tom (NIU) 6-3, 6-2

5. Hands, Tom (DU) vs. Manzanas, Carlos (NIU) 4-6, 4-3, unfinished

6. Clark, Ben (DU) def. Hamel, Louis-Philipp (NIU) 6-3, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. Gillespie, Vinny/MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Marbach, Eric/Lundkvist, Georg (NIU) 6-1

2. Stride, Ben/Wood, Ben (DU) def. Schweiger Muzar, Bor/Manzanas, Carlos (NIU) 6-4

3. Hamel, Louis-Philipp/Hjertonsson, Tom (NIU) def. Clark, Ben/Hands, Tom (DU) 5-4

 

Match Notes

Drake 2-0

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,4,6)