Gritty DePaul Battles to Final Singles Match

Saturday, February 1

West Lafayette, IN

9:00 A.M. CT

DePaul University

Purdue

2/1/2020 3:18:00 PM | MEN'S TENNIS

Blue Demons come up short in 4-3 setback at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A banged-up DePaul team battling it way through some early-season injuries went toe-to-toe with the Big Ten's Purdue on Saturday with everything riding on the final match.

It was 3-3 when Tripp Tuff faced the Boilermakers' Sebastian Welch who won the first set 6-4. Tuff came right back and took the second set by the same score despite a rowdy partisan crowd who gave the Blue Demons a hard time.

Tuff had a deuce point in the third set to break back at 4-5 but could not get it done in falling 6-3.

"I'm proud of the guys," said men's tennis coach Matt Brothers. "Many are injured and yet we're still finding a way to overcome adversity and battle."

After winning the doubles point behind the tandems of Boris Spanjaard/Christopher Casati and the Tonejc brothers Fran and Vito, the Blue Demons went up 2-0 after Spanjaard opened singles play defeating Maksymilian Raupuk 6-3, 6-4.

Purdue (3-3) won the next three singles matches to lead 3-2. Tamas Zador kept DePaul hopes alive with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Mateo Julio at No. 2.

DePaul (1-3) was right back on the Schwartz Tennis Center courts to face Toledo in a tennis doubleheader.

Purdue 4, DePaul 3

Singles

1. Athell Bennett (PUR) def. Vito Tonejc (DEP) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1

2. Tamas Zador (DEP) def. Mateo Julio (PUR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

3. Boris Spanjaard (DEP) def. Maksymilian Raupuk (PUR) 6-3, 6-4

4. Michal Wozniak (PUR) def. Christopher Casati (DEP) 6-3, 6-4

5. Sebastian Welch (PUR) def. Tripp Tuff (DEP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

6. Julian Saborio (PUR) def. Luuk Wassenaar (DEP) 7-6(4), 6-2

Doubles

1. Boris Spanjaard/Christopher Casati (DEP) def. Athell Bennett/Maksymilian Raupuk (PUR) 6-3