BOX SCORE

KINGS POINT, N.Y. (March 23, 2017) – With a 9-0 win at The United States Merchant Marine Academy on Thursday, the Drew University men's tennis team has now won five straight dual matches and have outscored opponents 27-0 over the last three.
 
The Rangers improve to 10-1, while the Mariners fall to 1-2 early in their season.
 
Junior Salikh Gilmutdinov received one of his best tests of the season facing USMMA's James Hicks at No. 1 singles. Drew's No. 1 still came out on top in a close match, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2). Gilmutdinov also won a tight doubles match with sophomore Will Morrison at the top spot in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-4). The Rangers duo saved three match points down 8-7 before tying the match and eventually winning the tiebreak.
 
Sophomore Vineet Vemulapally, Morrison and freshman Geoffrey Diehl all won in straight sets in second through fourth singles, respectively. Freshman Bryce Weizer added a win at No. 6 singles, 7-5, 7-5.
 
Sophomore Kevin Shulca rebounded from a first set loss to win 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5) in a hard-fought superbreaker in the third set.
 
Drew dominated doubles play with Vemulapally and Diehl sweeping second doubles, 8-0, while freshman Parker Diamond teamed with sophomore Chris Morville at third doubles for an 8-4 victory.
 
Vemulapally retains the team lead in singles wins in 2016-17 with a 12-2 record this season, while Gilmutdinov and Diehl are close behind with matching 11-1 records, which both include perfect 9-0 marks in dual matches.
 
The Rangers begin Landmark Conference play on Saturday, March 25 at 1:00 p.m. at Elizabethtown College.