The Gustavus men’s tennis team rolled to a 9-0 win over nationally rated Carleton on Saturday in the Swanson Tennis Center at Gustavus. With the win, the Gusties completed MIAC regular season play with a 9-0 record and clinched their 20th consecutive league title.
Gustavus extended its MIAC regular season win streak to 214 matches dating back to the beginning of the 1986 season. The last match Gustavus lost was to St. Thomas (6-3) in the final MIAC regular season match of 1985. This season, the Gusties compiled an individual match record of 77-4 in posting another perfect 9-0 mark against league opponents.
Gustavus opened the match against the Knights by winning all three doubles matches in convincing fashion. Andy Bryan and Charlie Paukert defeated Colin Russell and Winston Park 8-3 at the #1 position, while Mike Burdakin and John Kauss defeated Kartheek Koneru and Peter Varnum 8-1 at the #2 position and Nick Hansen and Ben Tomasek defeated Julian Tokarev and Brendan Cooper 8-1 at the #3 position.
The Gusties won five of the six singles matches in straight sets. The lone exception was at the #5 position where Ben Tomasek needed a third set superbreaker to defeat Brendan Cooper 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-7).
Gustavus, which is currently rated #5 in the most recent ITA Division III poll, will complete its 2008 regular season on Sunday, April 20 with a match against Kalamazoo College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.