RAMS EXACT REVENGE WITH 4-3 WIN OVER UNC WILMINGTON

RICHMOND, Va. – The saying goes "revenge is a dish best served cold."

Apparently that's true as the Virginia Commonwealth University men's tennis team battled colder than normal temperatures to exact revenge on UNC Wilmington, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at Thalhimer Tennis Center.

The Seahawks topped an injury-riddled Black & Gold squad last April, 4-3, to win the CAA Championship.

Sophomore Filip Svensson (Angelholm, Sweden) had an outstanding showing with a doubles and singles win for the Rams on Saturday.

He started the day off by teaming with freshman Max Wennakoski (Helsinki, Finland) to top Michael Pereira and Chris Cooprider, 8-6 at #3 doubles. Then the freshmen duo of Krisztian Krocsko (Budapest, Hungary) and Camill Salomon (Limoges, France) locked down the doubles point with a 9-7 win at #2.

Svensson would strike again in singles action, getting the Rams their second point with a straight set, 6-4,6-2 win at #5 singles over Alex Wetherell.

55th-ranked Thibaut Charron (Sens, France) followed suit with a 7-5, 6-1 win at #1 singles and junior Tim Johanssen (Hohenlockstedt, Germany) secured the critical conference win with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 defeat of Illia Ziamtsou at #3.

The CAA action continues for the Black & Gold as they host the Fightin' Blue Hens of Delaware on Monday afternoon in a 2 p.m. showdown at Thalhimer.  

#73 VCU 4, #64 UNC Wilmington 3

Singles Competition
1. #55 Charron def. Michael Pereira, 7-5, 6-1
2. Kinshuk Sharma def. Krocsko,  6-0, 7-5
3. Johanssen def. Illia Ziamtsou, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
4. Kosta Blank def. Wennakoski, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (6)
5. Svensson def. Alex Wetherell, 6-4, 6-2
6. Max Ando Hirsh def. Salomon, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Doubles Competition
1. Ando Hirsh/Sharma def. Charron/Johanssen, 8-6
2. Krocsko/Salomon def. Blank/Ziamtsou, 9-7
3. Wennakoski/Svennson def. Pereira/Cooprider,  8-6