SALEM, Ore. - The Whitman College men's tennis team survived strong opposition at one doubles and one singles to down Willamette University, 9-0, in Northwest Conference action on Saturday. The win at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club improved the Blues to 5-0 in the NWC and to 6-10 overall. Willamette slipped to 1-2 in the NWC, 1-9 on the season.
 
At first doubles, Alex Hwang and Andreas Mueller-Immergluck rallied late for an 8-7 (7-4) tiebreaker win over Andrew Kabacy and Aaron Schechter. Hwang and Mueller-Immergluck won consecutive games to move in front, 7-6 before Kabacy and Schechter earned a service break to tie the match at 7-7, sending it into a tiebreaker. During the tiebreaker, Kabacy and Schechter built a 2-1 lead, but the Blues ran off four points in a row for a 5-2 edge. Kabacy put together two strong service points to pull within 5-4 but Hwang and Mueller-Immergluck won the next two rallies to take the match.
 
The Blues all but ensured themselves of the win with dominant 8-0 victories on both the No. 2 and No. 3 courts.
 
Whitman quickly dispatched the Bearcats in singles play to take the match. Mueller-Immergluck took down Luke Hiserman 6-1, 6-0 at the five before Rajul Chikkalingaiah clinched the Blues' win with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep.
 
The most competitive singles match came on the No. 1 court between Kabacy and Ben Kirsh. Kirsh took the opening set convincingly but was pushed in set two before completing what would be a 6-2, 7-5 sweep.
 
Whitman returns to the court in one week's time, hosting Pacific Lutheran in Northwest Conference action on Saturday, Apr. 13.