Aggies pick up big victory in tennis

                USU’s men’s tennis team hosted the Weber State Wildcats at the Logan Sports Academy and Racquet Club Friday afternoon, and the Aggies came out with a much needed victory against their rivals, winning 5-4. The Aggies win moved them at 5-4 on the season and ended the Wildcats five game winning streak.
    During singles play the Aggies gained control by winning four of the six points needed. They picked up their other points by winning the one and three spots in the doubles matches.
    Things started off well for the Aggies at the No. 1 spot in singles as Aggie sophomore Jakob Asplund won in three sets over WSU’s  Sascha Kiehne, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a grudge match.
    Following in the No. 2 spot, the Aggies’ Bryan Marchant stumbled to WSU’s Simon Unger, losing in straight sets 6-0, 6-3. Weber State continued to roll in the No. 3 spot as well, as Henning Hipp beat USU’s Amit Maharaj, 7-6, 6-2.
    The Aggies finally found leeway in the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots as the trio of Mike Banks, Alex Thatcher and Jordan Barlow each won their matches. The end of singles play left USU in the lead 4-2
    Senior Mike Banks defeated Spencer Marchant, 7-5, 7-5. USU’s Thatcher beat WSU’s Chris Williams in probably the best match of the afternoon 2-6, 6-3 and 14-12. Then, in the final singles match, USU’s Barlow beat WSU’s Travis Covington 6-3, 6-1.
    In doubles play, USU’s Asplund and Marchant easily handled WSU’s Kiehne and Unger, as they won 8-1. USU’s Barlow and Banks sealed then sealed the deal with a win over WSU’s Marchant and Williams, 8-6.
    The Aggies’ only stumbling block came in the number two spot as WSU’s Hipp and Covington narrowly edged out USU’s Maharaj and Thatcher, 8-7.
    USU will host the Idaho State Bengals at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club on Thursday, March 5 at 1 p.m. Admission to all the Aggie tennis matches is free to the public.
–jare.ro@aggiemail.usu.edu