Ashland University's men's tennis team played its first matches at home since 1995 on Friday (Oct. 12).
The Eagles played host to Walsh and Findlay on Day 1 of Ashland's Hidden Duals.
In A draw singles action, freshman Stuart Brdicka won all of his Day 1 matches. In his first match, Brdicka won a hard-fought first set, 7-6, winning the tiebreak game. In the second set, he dominated play, cruising to a 6-2 set victory to advance to the second round. In second-round play, Brdicka remained dominant, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. He will play for the A draw singles championship on Saturday (Oct. 13).
Freshman Jordan Phelps lost his opening match in A draw singles play, but will play for the consolation final on Saturday.
In B draw singles play, freshman Colten Clark won his first match. Clark advanced winning in straight sets by a score of 6-4, 6-3. He lost his next match, but will play for third place in the draw on Saturday.
A pair of Eagles picked up solid wins in C draw singles. Freshman Shivam Patel won his first-round match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Sophomore Nathan Sims also cruised through his opening round, recording a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Patel and Sims both lost their next match, and will play each other for third place in the draw on Saturday.
In doubles play, the pairing of Brdicka and Clark did not drop a single game on their way to a crushing victory. They will play in the semifinals on Saturday, along with Phelps and freshman Tche Kun Teng, who advanced on a bye.
In B draw doubles play, it was more of the same for the Eagles, as Patel and freshman Chase Williams advanced on a bye, and senior Stanislaw Grzeslo and Sims won their match, 6-1. Both teams will play in semifinal action on Saturday.
"We are very excited to have the opportunity to host a tournament at home with other strong D2 teams in Ohio," said assistant tennis coach Christian Hamilton. "We can tell that our team's confidence on the court, as well as their ability to execute their shots, has greatly improved since the season opener."
The Eagles begin play at the Deborah Liebert Karl Tennis Complex on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
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