No. 7 Virginia Opens Season With a Sweep Against Liberty

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –  The No. 7 Virginia men’s tennis team (1-0) opened the 2022 dual match season with a 7-0 sweep against Liberty (0-1) on Thursday (Jan. 20) at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

Virginia was scheduled to play a doubleheader, taking on Richmond (0-0) in the second match of the day, but that contest has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.

The Cavaliers won all three doubles matches against Liberty and took five singles matches in straight sets. Sophomore Chris Rodesch preserved the sweep with a three-set victory on court one. Rodesch dropped the first set 6-3 against Nicaise Muamba, but won the second 6-3 to force the decider. The players were knotted 4-4 when Rodesch won a deuce point to go up a break. He then won another deuce point to hold serve and close out the match.

MATCH NOTES

• Fifth-year senior Gianni Ross sailed through a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 6 against Goncalo Ferreira
• Jeffrey von der Schulenburg had the clinching victory with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Christiaan Worst on court four

ON THE HORIZON

• The Cavaliers have two home matches remaining this weekend, the rescheduled match against Richmond on Saturday (Jan. 22) at 11 a.m. and a Sunday contest against No. 20 Harvard at 1 p.m.

#7 Virginia 7, Liberty 0

Singles competition

1. #27 Chris Rodesch (VA) def. Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
2. #52 Inaki Montes (VA) def. Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-0
3. #71 Bar Botzer (VA) def. R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 6-3
4. #66 J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-3
5. #27 Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-4
6. Gianni Ross (VA) def. Goncalo Ferreira (LIBERTYM) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Chris Rodesch/William Woodall (VA) def. Deji Thomas-Smith/Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) 6-3
2. Inaki Montes/Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Nicaise Muamba/R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) 6-4
3. Bar Botzer/J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Goncalo Ferreira/Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 6-3

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,2,4,5,3,1)