The University of Utah men and women’s tennis teams began the spring season this weekend and both teams went undefeated. The men’s team played at home against the University of Idaho and then Weber State, while the women’s team was in Montana, where they took on the Montana Griz and Minnesota. 

This was the first time since last fall the men’s team has played. Their first match was on Thursday afternoon, followed by another that evening. The women’s team had already started the season — last weekend, they took on SUU at home, going 7-0 and then 5-0 in the double header versus the T-Birds.

Utah men’s tennis started out the day strong as they swept Idaho in their first match 7-0. To begin the match, on doubles it was the senior duo Azat Hankuliyev and Slava Shainyan, who took home the first win on court three, beating Bruno Casino and Vivek Ramesh with a 6-3 score. Over on court one, Esteban Santibanez and Francisco Bascon-Perez of Idaho defeated Randy Cory and Russell Benkaim of Utah 6-3.

This put the pressure on the freshman duo of Franco Capalbo and Wally Thayne to win for the Utes, which is exactly what they did. The duo was trailing 3-4, but came back against Guilherme Scarpelli and Althaf Dhaifullah to win 7-6 and put the Utes up 1-0 for the match.

Utah kept their momentum going into singles, as all six Utes nabbed a win from their Idaho opponents. Capalbo and Thayne picked up their first wins as freshman Utes in the singles division. Capalbo had a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Bascon-Perez in the No. 1 spot, while Thayne in the No. 5 spot went 6-1, 6-3 to propel the Utes to their 7-0 win against the Vandals. 

Next up, the Utah men’s tennis team took on in-state opponent Weber State University. Hankuliyev and Shainyan picked up their second doubles win of the day with a score of 6-1, while Randy Cory and Russell Benkaim defeated Arthur Serafim and Brendan Barr for their first doubles win at 6-4 to give the Utes the doubles point.  Shainyan and Cory helped the Utes in the singles round as well when they both came out with wins. Thayne pulled out another singles win as a freshman, winning 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, and Mathias Gavelin went 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to finish out the score at a 5-2 win for the Utes against the Wildcats. 

As for the women’s team, they first played a double header against the Montana Griz on Friday. The Utes swept the Griz in both matches with two 4-0 scores. To start off the doubles for the day, Anya Lamoreaux and Katya Hersh defeated Lauren Dunlap and Alex Walker 6-2, while Madeline Lamoreaux and Emily Dush beat Bianca Bostrom and Maria Goheen 6-3 to give the Utes the doubles point.

Next in singles, Madison Tattini beat Julia Ronney 6-4, 6-3. Then Madeline Lamoreaux took down her opponent Olivia Oosterbaan 6-0, 6-4. To finish off the singles, Whitney Hekking defeated Goheen 6-1, 6-0.

Starting off the doubles for the second match was Dush and Madeline Lamoreaux, who won 6-1. Next, No. 24 Tattini and Hekking won at 6-3 to give the Utes the doubles point.

For singles, Hersh beat Bostrom 6-2, 6-0. Anya Lamoreaux took on Claudia Reguant, winning by the same score of 6-2, 6-0. To finish it off, Dush beat Dunlap 6-2, 7-5 to give the Utes another 4-0 win. 

For the final match of the weekend, the Utah women’s team took on Minnesota early Sunday morning, defeating them 4-3.

Starting off the doubles play was Madeline Lamoreaux and Dush, who defeated Dalila Said and Cammy Frei 6-1. Next, No. 24 Hekking and Tattini beat Tina Kreinis and Tiffany Huber in the No. 1 position at 6-3 to give the Utes the doubles point.

For singles, Tattini defeated Kreinis 7-6, 6-0, while Madeline Lamoreaux beat Huber 6-3, 7-6. Then, Anya Lamoreaux finished it off, taking on River Hart 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 to gain the 4-3 win for the Utes.

This is the first time the women’s tennis team has started 5-0 since the 1983-84 season.

The men’s tennis team will back next week as they head to Columbus, Ohio to play in the ITA Kickoff, taking on Tulsa first and then either Ohio State or Purdue on Sunday. The women’s tennis team will also be participating in ITA Kickoff weekend, as they play UCF on Saturday and then either Ole Miss or Michigan on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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