CHICAGO, Ill. – Tied at 3-2 with only top singles matches remaining, sophomores Kirtan Patel and Yuma Daijima claimed a pair of three-set victories to help the Creighton men’s tennis team clinch a 4-3 come-from-behind win over DePaul on Saturday night in Chicago, Ill.
The win propels the Bluejays to 4-2 on the year, while DePaul drops to 1-2 overall.
“This was truly an upset,” said head coach Gerhard Posch. “DePaul has a very strong team and is a force to be reckoned with. Our team showed some real heart today.”
Trailing 3-2 in the overall dual, Creighton needed wins from both Patel and Yuma Daijima to secure the come-from-behind victory. Daijima started the rally with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Sven Moser to level the score at 3-3.
With the match on the line, Patel pulled out a three-set win over Laurentiu Mandocescu to clinch the overall match. After dropping the first set, 6-3, Patel claimed a 7-5 victory in set two to force a winner-take-all third set. In the third frame, Patel soared out an early lead before hanging on for a 6-4 win to claim the dual.
The Bluejays also got a boost from junior Alejandro Gandini, who secured a 6-3, 6-2 straight-sets victory over Shourya Verma at the No. 4 singles position.
The Bluejays jumped out to an early lead after claiming victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles positions to secure the first point of the match. Daijima and Gandini teamed up for a 6-2 win at the No. 3 doubles position, while Shin Inoue and Zachary Kuo captured an identical 6-2 triumph at the No. 2 doubles spot to give the Bluejays an early 1-0 lead.
Creighton returns home to battle Youngstown State on Friday Feb. 2 at 12 p.m. inside the Hanscom Tennis Center.
Creighton 4, DePaul 3
Jan. 27, 2024 at Chicago, Ill.
Singles Competition
1. Kirtan Patel (CU) def. Laurentiu Mandocescu (DPU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
2. Leon Huck (DPU) def. Matthew Lanahan (CU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Matteo Iaquinto (DPU) def. Zachary Kuo (CU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Alejandro Gandini (CU) def. Shourya Verma (DPU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Pablo Torres Almeida (DPU) def. Ethan Neil (CU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Yuma Daijima (CU) def. Sven Moser (DPU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. Matthew Lanahan/Kirtan Patel (CU) vs. Shourya Verma/Jona Gitschel (DPU) 5-4, unfinished
2. Shin Inoue/Zachary Kuo (CU) def. Laurentiu Mandocescu/Leon Huck (DPU) 6-2
3. Yuma Daijima/Alejandro Gandini (CU) def. Sven Moser/Pablo Torres Almeida (DPU) 6-2