LAKEVILLE, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's tennis team began the 2021 season on Friday with an exciting 5-4 victory over the University of Dubuque. The Cougars took an early lead by winning two doubles matches and then fought to split the six singles matches with the Spartans to hold on for the win.
Earning two points from doubles turned out to be key for UMN Morris.
Paul Decker and
Cole Peters opened the scoring with an 8-4 win at No. 3 that was evened out by an 8-3 loss at No. 2 for
Tanner Janorschke and Paul Flicker. In a back-and-forth match,
Nick Garmen and
Taiyo Larson came away with an 8-6 win at No. 1 to put the Cougars ahead, 2-1.
Decker and Peters handled their singles matches at Nos. 5 and 6 easily to put Minnesota Morris ahead, 4-1. Decker was a 6-2, 6-2 winner at No. 5 and Peters tallied a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 6. Needing just one more point to earn the win, things looked bad when Dubuque went a set up in all four of the remaining matches. It was the team's lone senior, Flicker, who turned things around with a 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-3 victory in the No. 4 match to clinch the win.
In the other singles matches, Garmen fell at No. 1, 7-5, 6-1. Janorschke lost the No. 2 match, 6-1, 6-0, and Larson dropped a 6-4, 7-5 decision at No. 3.
The Cougars are back in action on March 14 with a non-conference matchup at UW-Superior starting at 1 p.m.
