Written by David Youngs
SAINT PETER, Minn. – Fresh off a Friday night victory, the Gustie men carried the momentum into Saturday with a pair of home wins against Bethel and Augustana (S.D.). Gustavus jumped into MIAC play feet first with a 9-0 sweep over Bethel to start the day. The Gusties closed the door on the weekend with a 5-2 win over Division II opponent Augustana.
Gustavus 9, Bethel 0
Bagels were the breakfast food of choice for the Gusties on Saturday morning as Gustavus rolled to a 9-0 sweep in their conference opener against Bethel. The Gusties claimed comfortable wins in doubles and failed to drop a set in singles en route to their 24th consecutive win over the Royals.
The nationally-ranked doubles team of Nick Aney (Sr., Rochester) and Alex Budde (Jr., Menomonee Falls, Wis.) kicked the day off with an 8-4 win at the No. 1 spot over the MIAC all-conference team of Erik Beckers and Jason Reily. Aney and Budde defeated the same Bethel team 8-3 last season and Aney teamed with Yassine Derbani in 2020 to defeat Beckers and Reily 8-4. The 11th ranked team in the nation (#5 in Midwest Region) is now 2-1 on the young season.
The No. 3 tandem of Joseph Punnoose (Sr., Bloomington) and Jack Bergmeyer (Lincoln, Neb.) rolled to an 8-2 victory to notch their second win of the season. Punnoose and Bergmeyer have only lost three total games in their first two showings of the year.
Aggressive tennis was the name of the game for the Gusties on the singles court. Gustavus swept the morning’s singles matches in dominant fashion, outscoring the Royals 72-14 in games won.
The Gusties were especially dominant at the bottom of the singles lineup, dropping only three games at the No. 4- No. 6 spots. First-year Josh Christensen (Fy., Rochester) secured a win in his home debut at the No. 3 singles spot with a 6-1, 6-1 win over his opponent. The young talent is now 1-1 on the year with his only loss coming in a three-set battle against Division I opponent North Dakota.
Aney and Budde each secured wins in their season debuts at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots. Aney used his heavy topspin forehand and big serve to earn a 6-4, 6-2 win over human-backboard and Bethel No.1 Erik Beckers.
Gustavus’ sweep over Bethel marks the fifth consecutive match that the Gusties have swept the Royals. The win marks the third year in a row that Gustavus has swept their MIAC opener.
“Getting the first conference win of the season is always an important one,” senior Joe Punnoose said after the team’s victory. “We’ll use the momentum from this win and the entire weekend to improve as we move forward.”
Gustavus 5, Augustana 2
A dominant breakfast victory didn’t stop Gustavus from locking in against Division II opponent Augustana. Playing Divison II format, the Gusties came out fast in doubles and willed their way to a 5-2 win against one of the strongest teams that the Vikings have fielded in recent history.
Showcasing a new doubles lineup from their previous two matches, the Gusties earned the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. IIndraneel Raut (Sr., Oshkosh Wis.) and Marco Siviero (Fy., Sao Miguel de Oeste, Brazil) sparked the fire for Gustavus with a dominant 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles to kick off the evening.
After suffering a tough loss the night before, Sourabh Terakanambi (Jr., Apple Valley) and Daniel Fouchier (Nootdorp, Netherlands) used quick hands and massive serves at the top doubles spot to earn their first win of the year. The team is currently ranked #8 in the Midwest Region and the two racked up a combined 19 doubles wins last season.
A pattern of dominance at the back end of the singles lineup continued on Saturday night for the Gusties. Oscar Wikstrom (Jr., Hunnebostrand, Sweden), Caleb Fridinger (So., Woodbury), and Joel Hug (Sr., Bangkok, Thailand) all racked up confident wins for Gustavus at No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 singles. With one win on the weekend already, Siviero continued his impressive 2022 campaign with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No 3. singles.
Saturday evening’s victory completed a three-match weekend sweep for the Gusties. The team is now 5-1 (1-0 MIAC) on the season as they prepare for ITA Indoor National Championships next weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.
Coaches Corner
After a 3-0 weekend of tennis, Tommy Valentini was impressed with the effort and skill that his players brought to the court.
“The guys put together two strong efforts today. We brought good energy against Bethel this morning and played a solid team match. Tonight against Augustana, we came out focused on doubles and handled some talented teams by sticking to our game plan,” Valentini said.
Despite a pair of three-set losses, Valentini admired the strength and unity that his team showed against a tough Augustana team.
“We lost a few third-set tiebreakers to some talented guys (at the top of the Augustana lineup), but overall we stuck together, handled what we could control, and took a good step forward. We’re thankful for two positive results and will get some rest and enjoy our preparations for an exciting weekend ahead at the ITA National Indoor Tournament.”