DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake University men's tennis team started off the 2019 portion of its schedule with a 4-3 win over visiting Northern Illinois Saturday morning at the Knapp Center.
 
The Bulldogs won three singles matches in straight-sets to claim the victory after opening the match with the doubles point.
 
Calum MacGeoch (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Ben Clark (Comberton, England) opened the day with a 6-1 doubles victory followed by a 6-4 win from Tom Hands and Bayo Philips (Houston, Texas) to win the doubles point.
 
Hands then made quick work of NIU's Bor Schweiger Muzar at No. 4 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win followed by a straight-set, 6-4, 6-2 win by Vinny Gillespie (Stirling, Scotland) at No. 1 singles.
 
MacGeoch sealed the win with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Mikko Malinen at No. 5 singles.
 
The Bulldogs continue action Saturday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center when they host Tennessee Tech at 6 p.m.
 
Drake 4, Northern Illinois 3
Jan 19, 2019 at Des Moines, Iowa (Roger Knapp Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie (DU) def. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Eric Marbach (NIU) def. Barny Thorold (DU) 6-7, 7-5 (10-7)
3. David Pata (NIU) def. Bayo Philips (DU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
4. Tom Hands (DU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Calum MacGeoch (DU) def. Mikko Malinen (NIU) 6-2, 7-6
6. Shao-Yu Yu (NIU) def. Ben Clark (DU) 5-7, 5-3, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Vinny Gillespie/Barny Thorold (DU) 7-6 (8-7)
2. Tom Hands/Bayo Philips (DU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar/Erich Schuette (NIU) 6-4
3. Calum MacGeoch/Ben Clark (DU) def. David Pata/Shao-Yu Yu (NIU) 6-1
 
Match Notes
Northern Illinois 0-1
Drake 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,1,5,3,6,2)
 
DES MOINES, Iowa –The Drake University men's defeated Tennessee Tech, 6-1, Saturday night at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. It was the second victory on Saturday for Drake (2-0), which edged Northern Illinois, 4-3, earlier in the day.
 
Saturday evening, the doubles point was decided in the No. 3 match as Calum MacGeoch (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Ben Clark (Comberton, England) claimed their second win of the day 6-2, this one the clincher. Vinny Gillespie (Stirling, Scotland) and Barny Thorold (Loughborough, England) won the No. 1 doubles match 7-6.
 
Gillespie then made fast work in the No. 1 singles match with a 6-4, 6-1 win followed by Clark's 6-1, 6-2 victory in the No. 5 match. Thorold sealed the home win with 6-1, 6-4 decision in the No. 2 match.
 
The Bulldogs host Big Ten foe, Purdue, Sunday at 10 a.m. followed by their first Summit League action as Illinois State visits for a 6 p.m. match.
 
Tennessee Tech vs Drake
Jan 19, 2019 at
Drake 6, Tennessee Tech 1
Singles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie (DU) def. TOSETTO, Rafael (TTU) 6-4, 6-1
2. Barny Thorold (DU) def. KONTOPOULOS, Fanis (TTU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Tom Hands (DU) def. KUBOTA, Riku (TTU) 6-3, 6-4
4. ALBIN, Wenceslao (TTU) def. Calum MacGeoch (DU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ben Clark (DU) def. GRUBERT, Elias (TTU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Finley Hall (DU) def. VICENTE, Carlos (TTU) 7-6, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie/Barny Thorold (DU) def. TOSETTO, Rafael/GARCIA, Gonzalo (TTU) 6-2
2. KUBOTA, Riku/ALBIN, Wenceslao (TTU) def. Tom Hands/Bayo Philips (DU) 7-5
3. Calum MacGeoch/Ben Clark (DU) def. GRUBERT, Elias/KONTOPOULOS, Fanis (TTU) 7-6
 
Match Notes:
Tennessee Tech 0-1
Drake 2-0
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,5,2,4,3,6)