WHITEWATER, Wis. - In a rematch of last season's NCAA second round matchup, Gustavus men's tennis got revenge over UW-Whitewater with a 4-2 victory on Saturday. The Gusties (20-11) advance to Sunday's region championship match where they will face the University of Chicago at noon.
Dominik Knutson and
Marco Siviero gave the Gusties the early edge in doubles with a 6-3 win at No. 2, but the Warhawks were able to clinch the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3.
Gustavus took control of singles, though, winning on four courts in straight sets to claim the win. Knutson earned the first point with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 3 and
Gage Gohl followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 1. Whitewater earned its second point with a win at No. 4, but the Gusties went ahead 3-1 as
Tyler Haddorff won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5, and
Taona Mhwandagara closed out the match with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 win at No. 6.
"The guys played with a ton of poise and trust today," said head coach
Dr. Tommy Valentini. "We competed well in the doubles but didn't find our game the way we wanted. And credit to Whitewater there for playing well at one and three. The key moment was the determination we showed coming into the singles. The guys were all determined, calm, energized and focused. Dom was tremendous to get us level at 1-1 with a great and comprehensive performance. Gage getting us the lead with so much belief put us In a good position. Another key moment was the second set pushes Marco and Josh both made. They competed with great maturity and kept us going. Tyler and Taona were both clutch and showed great courage in the big moments to get us over the line and close out their second sets with the match on the line. We knew this was a tough challenge on the road, and the guys welcomed it. We're grateful to come through against a tough team and we're looking forward to embracing another fun challenge tomorrow in the sweet 16."
Gustavus and Chicago will meet in the regional championship for the third time in the past four seasons. The Gusties defeated the Maroons 5-4 in 2023 and Chicago won 5-2 in 2022.
