WALLA WALLA, Wash. The 14th-ranked men's tennis Blues closed out their own 2018 Whitman Invite with a nearly perfect 9-0 non-conference win over visiting and 13th-ranked Trinity (Texas) University Sunday afternoon at the Bratton Indoor Tennis Center.
Whitman (3-2) stormed to a 3-0 lead with its sweep of the doubles action, then pounded out straight-set wins in each of the six singles matches. The loss drops Trinity to a season mark of 1-4.
Zach Hewlin and
Robert Carter -- Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Americans -- won an 8-3 decision at No. 1 doubles for Whitman, while
Ben Kirsh and
Gary Ho were finishing off their own 8-3 win at No. 3. The tandem of
Rajul Chikkalingaiah and
Adam Rapoport had to work a little longer, but eventually closed out an 8-6 win at 2-doubles to complete the sweep.
Carter and
Daniel Foster both posted commanding victories in singles action. Carter defeated Tilden Oliver, 6-0 and 6-1, at 4-singles, and Foster downed Austin Crist at No. 5 by the same count.
Chase Friedman also had a strong outing, rolling through a 3 and 0 triumph over Clark Rivers in the 6-singles slot.
Hewlin at No. 1, Kirsh at No. 2 and Ho at No. 3 rounded out the straight-set singles victories for Whitman.
The Blues march into Northwest Conference action in their next four matches, beginning with visiting Linfield College on Saturday, March 3.
