Wayne State University’s men’s tennis team, ranked second and holding a 15-6 record, achieved a close victory over Ferris State University, ranked third with a 12-8 record, in the second round of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament. The match took place in Midland, Michigan, resulting in a 4-3 scoreline on Saturday. This win sets Wayne State up to face Grand Valley State University, which has a 15-2 record, in the championship match on Sunday, April 27.
The competition started with the doubles matches, where Ferris State initially took the lead by winning two matches. George Day and Sam Knowles, playing in the No. 2 position for Wayne State, were defeated 6-4 by Alessandro Santangelo and Felipe Iser. In the No. 3 spot, Benjamin Hill and Luis Klaus lost 6-1 against Milo Leuenberger and Kacper Pasielak. The doubles team of Cedric Drenth and Tom Wasner, playing in the No. 1 position for Wayne State, faced off against Adrian Catahan and Jose Perez, but their match was not completed due to the outcomes of the other two matches.
In the singles portion, Wayne State regained momentum. Cedric Drenth, the GLIAC Player of the Year, claimed a victory over Kevin Kovacs 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 1 singles position. George Day also achieved success by defeating Santangelo 6-3, 6-4. Benjamin Hill secured an important win in the No. 5 slot, overcoming Jose Perez with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) score.
Despite setbacks with Knowles and Klaus losing their matches in the No. 4 and No. 6 slots respectively, the match reached a decisive point with the overall score tied at 3-3. Freshman Tom Wasner engaged in a pivotal third-set tiebreaker against Erik Kovacs. Wasner remained focused under pressure and emerged victorious with a 7-6 (7-3) score, ensuring Wayne State’s advancement to the GLIAC Tournament Championship.
Looking ahead, Wayne State University will compete against Grand Valley State on April 27 for not just the championship title but also an automatic entry into the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.
