Men’s Tennis to Close Out Homestand with Three Matches This Week

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's tennis team will finish out the final three contests of its season-opening, five-match homestand this week hosting Rhode Island College, UMass – Boston and Emerson at Buckingham, Browne & Nichols.

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LAST TIME OUT

Suffolk got off to a 1-1 start last week as it opened the 2016 campaign with Thursday and Saturday home matches against Wentworth and Wheelock. After dropping the season-opening match to Wentworth, 9-0, the Rams rebounded Saturday afternoon to take down Wheelock's Wildcats 7-2. Suffolk took two out of three sets in doubles to start off the match as the pairs of Alonso Vela and Francesco Saia and Anton Boubnov and Rami Esrawi each recorded wins. Later on, Vela, Saia, Chris Parnagian, Kevin Clavijo and Vincent Le all won sets in singles play.

MORE READING: Men's Tennis Bests Wheelock to Earn First Win of Season

RUNDOWN ON RHODE ISLAND

After opening the schedule on March 12, the Anchormen (0-4) are still seeking their first win of the 2016 season. Freshman Matthew Gambardella has made the strongest start for Rhode Island so far with a 2-2 record in singles play. Gambardella and fellow first-year Alan Esposito have notched the team's lone victory in doubles with the win coming against Salve Regina.

The Anchormen will travel to meet the Rams Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. This will mark the teams' seventh matchup in as many years. Suffolk is 7-0 when serving off against Rhode Island College over the past seven seasons, according to the Rams' record books which date back to 2009.

A BIT ABOUT THE BEACONS

UMass. – Boston opened its spring season on March 13 and will head into Thursday's 7 p.m. match at Suffolk with a 1-5 record through its first six contests of 2016. The Beacons are 14-35 as a team in singles play this season with Jack Wang and Josh Bhasin boasting 3-7 and 2-5 individual records, respectively. In doubles, UMass is 6-20.

Suffolk is 13-5 in matches against the Beacons dating back to 1995.

LOWDOWN ON THE LIONS

Emerson opened the 2016 season 3-0 through its first week of matches. The Lions will host Salve Regina Friday, April 1 before traveling to Suffolk to take on the Rams Saturday at 5 p.m. The pairs of Antonio Ramirez and Daniel Okin, along with Nik Rhodes and Joshua Freud are both 3-0 in doubles play so far this season while all four boast undefeated individual records in singles, as well.

Suffolk has notched 10 wins, including five GNAC titles, in matches against the Lions since 2009, according to the Rams' record books which date back to that year.

WHAT'S NEXT

Following Saturday's match, the Rams will be on the road to take on Roger Williams next Tuesday, April 5 at 4 p.m.