ORLANDO, Fla. – The start to the 2023 season has been historic for the Yellowjacket men's tennis team. The Yellowjackets started the year unbeaten in their first 11 matches. Not only is that the best start to a season in program history, but it is also the longest winning streak in program history.
 
But like the saying goes, all good things must end.
 
For the first time this season, the Yellowjacket men met their match, falling in their first match of the day to Coe College of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 7-2 at Lake Cane Tennis Center Wednesday. The 'Jackets rebounded in their second match of the day, however, getting back in the win column with a 6-3 win over Illinois Institute of Technology.
 
The Yellowjackets are now 12-1 overall (1-0 UMAC) on the season.
 
Match One
Things were tough from the get-go for the Yellowjackets in the opener, as they dropped two of the three doubles matches to the No. 6-ranked team in the region.
 
The only victorious pairing was the duo of Benedek Kaibas (Salgótarján, Hungary/Mikszáth Kálmán Gimnázium) and Mateus Miranda Silvestre (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Colegio Torricelli), who won at No. 3 doubles 8-6 over Coe's Isaac Hinze and Conner Kryscio.
 
In singles play, the only Yellowjacket to find the win column was Andre Luiz de Melo Guedes (Brasilia, Brazil/Centro de Ensino Médio Paulo Freire), who defeated Ivan Burt-Smith at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-0. The all-time leader in singles wins at UW-Superior has seven wins this season and has earned 33 singles victories in his illustrious career.
 
Match 2
The Yellowjackets restored order late in the day, fighting their way to a 6-3 win over the Illinois Institute of Technology. The victory was impressive on multiple fronts. First, the Yellowjackets rebounded from the earlier loss. Second, they came from behind after losing two of the three doubles matches. And lastly, they needed three sets to decide three of their five singles wins.
 
On the doubles side, the Yellowjackets got their second doubles win of the day from Kiabas and Miranda Silvestre. Playing at No. 3 doubles, the duo defeated Rodrigo Casado and Ulyses Bueno-Canosa 8-3.
 
When things shifted to singles play the Yellowjackets put the pedal down.
 
Igor Guetten Chaves (Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil/Colégio Adventista) defeated Alann Torres in a great battle at No. 1 singles. After taking the first set 6-4, Guetten Chaves dropped the second set 3-6 before bouncing back to take the third and deciding set 6-3. At No. 2 singles, Ren Kurachi (Yokohama, Japan/Yokosuka Gakuin) also needed three sets. Kurachi dropped the first set Nabil Fawaz 2-6 before rallying to take the second set 6-1 and the third set 6-3.
 
The third singles victory for the Yellowjackets to go the distance came at No. 4 singles, where Vitor Sakakibara (São Paulo, Brazil/Colégio Saber) defeated Jordan Lauer 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
 
Jacob Zacharias (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) picked up the win at No. 5 singles, defeating Danial Zindani in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
 
Rounding things out for the Yellowjackets was Keisuke Sato (Fukushima, Japan/Fukushima), who rolled at No. 6 singles, defeating Casado 6-1, 6-4. An All-UMAC Second Team pick a year ago, Sato is now 5-1 in singles play on the year following his straight-sets win.
 
There's not much time to rest for the Yellowjackets, as they'll be back in action taking on NCAA Division I Rider University Thursday morning. The opening serve is set for 6:30 a.m. CDT at Sanlando Tennis Park.