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No. 48 Gophers Upset No. 38 Hawkeyes in Iowa City
3/14/2021 3:46:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Minnesota heads back home next weekend for four-game stretch
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The University of Minnesota men's tennis team earned their second ranked team victory of the season on Sunday afternoon, defeating the No. 38 Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 4-3
The Gophers will jump to 4-3 after the big win, while Iowa falls to 4-5 on the season after the close loss. It was the Maroon & Gold's third-straight victory, while also holding a 4-1 record in their last five matches.
Doubles Play
Vlad Lobak and Siim Troost highlighted the Gophers in doubles play, knocking off the No. 17 pairing of Will Davies and Oliver Okonkwo, 7-6. Davies and Okonkwo jumped out to an early lead, but Lobak and Troost were able to battle back and win it in the tiebreaker and secure the crucial doubles point.
Jackson Allen and Sebastian Vile were the other winners in doubles play, showcasing a dominant performance en route to the 6-1 victory. Kaleb Dobbs and Daniel Martin fell 6-1 in their doubles match.
Singles Play
Vlad Lobak, Sebastian Vile, and Daniel Martin all won their singles matches on Sunday afternoon to help push the Gophers to the victory, Lobak and Vile both won their matches in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 and 6-2, 7-6, respectively, while Martin battled back from a first set loss in dominant fashion to win 6-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Jackson Allen and Siim Troost lost two tough matches in straight sets, while Dylan Heap dropped his match in three sets.
Notable
The Gophers three-match win streak has been their longest streak since the 2018-2019 season, where they rattled off nine straight victories spanning from Feb. 1, 2019 to Mar. 10, 2019.
Vlad Lobak and Siim Troost also reached a career milestone, as today's victory marked the first time they have had multiple ranked victories in one season, pushing their career record against ranked pairings to 3-1.
Quotable
"We knew today was going to be tough, and I was proud of how the team competed," head coach Geoff Young said. "The impressive doubles performance today was big for us, and we're looking forward to outdoor tennis this upcoming week."
What's Next?
Minnesota will now come home for a season-long four-match homestretch, starting next weekend where they will take on No. 8 Ohio State on Friday, March 19, as well as Penn State on Sunday, March 21.