DES MOINES - The Drake University men's tennis teams ended an undefeated first weekend of competition with a 5-2 win over Illinois State Sunday evening at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. The match also served as the Summit League opener for the defending league champion Bulldogs.
 
Drake (4-0, 1-0 Summit) won the match before Illinois State (0-1, 0-1 Summit) registered a point. After claiming the doubles point, Drake won three-straight singles matches in straight sets to win the conference opener.
 
Vinny Gillespie (Stirling, Scotland) opened the singles wins with his fourth singles win of the weekend in defeating Igor Kolaric, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 1 singles. Ben Clark (Comberton, England) followed at No. 4 singles with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Egehan Sertkaya. Tom Hands (Fulbourn, England) sealed the win with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Diego Le Gal Perez at No. 2 singles.
 
Bayo Philips (Houston, Texas) also picked up a 6-4, 3-6, 10-2 win at No. 3 singles.
 
The Bulldogs continue their season next weekend on the road at the ITA Kickoff Weekend. Action for the team begins Saturday against No. 16 Oklahoma.


DES MOINES, Iowa –The Drake University men's tennis team edged Purdue 4-3 Sunday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. Drake (3-0) handed Purdue (1-1) its first loss of the season.
 
Vinny Gillespie (Stirling, Scotland) and Barny Thorold (Loughborough, England) opened the match with a 6-2 No. 1 doubles win followed by a 7-5 No. 3 victory from Calum MacGeoch (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Tom Hands (Fullbourn, England) to grab the doubles point.
 
Gillespie then made quick work in the No. 1 singles match with a 6-1, 6-3 win, but Purdue won the No. 4 and No. 2 matches to even the score at 2-2. However, MacGeoch claimed a 6-4, 7-5 victory in the No. 5 singles match to put Bulldogs back ahead at 3-2. Ben Clark (Comberton, England) then pulled out a hard-fought 7-6, 7-6 win in the No. 6 singles match that earned Drake another home victory.   
 
Results
Purdue vs Drake
Jan 20, 2019 at
Drake 4, Purdue 2
 
Singles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie (DU) def. Maksymilian Raupuk (PURDUE) 6-1, 6-3
2. Athell Bennett (PURDUE) def. Barny Thorold (DU) 7-6, 6-3
3. Mateo Julio (PURDUE) def. Tom Hands (DU) 6-4, 6-7, 3-0 (unfinished)
4. Stephan Koenigsfest (PURDUE) def. Bayo Philips (DU) 6-4, 7-5
5. Calum MacGeoch (DU) def. Franz Luna (PURDUE) 6-4, 7-6
6. Ben Clark (DU) def. Santiago Galan (PURDUE) 7-6, 7-6
 
Doubles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie/Barny Thorold (DU) def. Maksymilian Raupuk/Athell Bennett (PURDUE) 6-2
2. Bayo Philips/Finley Hall (DU) vs. Stephan Koenigsfest/Mateo Julio (PURDUE) 6-6, unfinished
3. Tom Hands/Calum MacGeoch (DU) def. Franz Luna/Dominik Sochurek (PURDUE) 7-5
 
Match Notes:
Purdue 1-1
Drake 3-0
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,4,2,5,6)


Drake 5, Illinois State 2
Jan 20, 2019 at Des Moines, Iowa (Roger Knapp Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie (DU) def. Igor Kolaric (ILS) 6-1, 6-4
2. Tom Hands (DU) def. Diego Le Gal Perez (ILS) 6-3, 6-4
3. Bayo Philips (DU) def. Jorge Quispe (ILS) 6-4, 3-6, 10-2
4. Ben Clark (DU) def. Egehan Sertkaya (ILS) 6-2, 6-3
5. Pol Rius Botifoll (ILS) def. Finley Hall (DU) 0-6, 6-0, 7-5
6. Aleksa Lazarevic (ILS) def. Freddie Powell (DU) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie/Barny Thorold (DU) def. Igor Kolaric/Jorge Quispe (ILS) 6-1
2. Bayo Philips/Finley Hall (DU) def. Aleksa Lazarevic/Cameron Petersen (ILS) 6-1
3. Calum MacGeoch/Ben Clark (DU) def. Egehan Sertkaya/Diego Le Gal Perez (ILS) 7-5
 
Match Notes
Illinois State 0-1
Drake 4-0
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,4,2,6,3,5)