SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s tennis team will play for the MIAC playoff championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships after a 6-0 MIAC semifinal win over Macalester on Thursday at the Brown Outdoor Courts. The Gusties improve to 15-2 overall and will host Carleton at 1 p.m. Saturday in the title match.
The Gusties started Thursday’s semifinal match with an 8-0 win at No. 3 doubles, followed by wins of 8-3 and 8-6 at Nos. 2-3, respectively. Jack Bergmeyer (So., Lincoln, Neb.) won the first singles match at No. 5 with a straight-set win at 6-2, 6-0. Daniel Fouchier (So., Nootdorp, Netherlands) clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 3 as Alex Budde (So., Menomonee Falls, Wis.) simultaneously closed out his No. 4 match 6-2, 6-1.
“The guys put together a great team effort today,” Head Coach Tommy Valentini said. “Joe and Sourabh got us off to a great start at three doubles and Nick and Alex were very solid at one. Daniel and Jack were very poised throughout their match and raised their game beautifully to get us the sweep. In the singles we stayed focused on every court and executed well. Everyone on our team competed well today and handled the playoff atmosphere nicely. I was proud of how well the guys stuck together and supported each other. We’re thankful to be able to come through, and are looking forward to another exciting challenge on Saturday.”
Singles
| 1. Nick Aney (Jr., Rochester) (GACM) vs. Sam Hochberger (MAC) 7-5, 1-1, unfinished |
| 2. Indraneel Raut (Jr., Oshkosh, Wis.) (GACM) vs. Jeffrey Jorgensen (MAC) 6-5, unfinished |
| 3. Daniel Fouchier (GACM) def. Karsten Knutsen (MAC) 6-1, 6-4 |
| 4. Alex Budde (GACM) def. Ben White (MAC) 6-2, 6-1 |
| 5. Jack Bergmeyer (GACM) def. Matthew Sullivan (MAC) 6-2, 6-0 |
| 6. Oscar Wikstrom (So., Hunnebostrand, Sweden) (GACM) vs. Alexander Poland (MAC) 6-3, 3-3, unfinished |
Doubles
| 1. Nick Aney/Alex Budde (GACM) def. Sam Hochberger/Ben White (MAC) 8-3 |
| 2. Jack Bergmeyer/Daniel Fouchier (GACM) def. Matthew Sullivan/Aidan Toner-Rodgers (MAC) 8-6 |
| 3. Joseph Punnoose (Jr., Bloomington)/Sourabh Terakanambi (So., Apple Valley) (GACM) def. Jeffrey Jorgensen/Alexander Poland (MAC) 8-0 |