DULUTH, Minn. – The Yellowjacket men's tennis team picked up their second win in a row Sunday afternoon, as they hosted Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) St. Olaf.
 
UWS hasn't been one to shy away from tough competition, as its non-conference schedule has shown over the last handful of seasons. Shifting to the 2024-25 season the 'Jackets snapped a six-match losing skid with a 6-1 victory over St. Norbert. Entering play with the Oles, Superior hasn't been able to snatch a win in their two matches played.
 
All that changed Sunday, as the Yellowjackets picked up their first victory over St. Olaf by a 5-2 decision.
 
Match Notes

• The Yellowjackets snatched the doubles point as they swept the Oles in doubles action. The tandem of Yash Chhabra (Jaipur, Rajasthan/Sanskar School) and Sharan Kanugovi (Bangalore, Karnataka/New Baldwin International School) won their match 6-4 before Brandon Chu (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) and Mateo Abarca Pino (Riobamba, Ecuador/El Despertar) drew a similar fate at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions.
• At the top spot, the Yellowjackets sent Igor Guetten Chaves (Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil/Colégio Adventista) and Vitor Sakakibara (São Paulo, Brazil/Colégio Saber) against Bogdan Vizoli and Lou Smith. The quartet battled it out and forced a tiebreaker, but the Yellowjackets came out with a 7-6 (7-2) win.
• Kanugovi fell in his singles bout with Marjan Veldic 4-6, 3-6 at the second spot.
• Guetten Chaves claimed a win at No. 1 singles 6-1, 7-5 over Vizoli before Chhabra picked up win number two for Superior. He won the opener 6-4 before falling 3-6 but clawed back to win the tiebreaker 1-0 (10-4).
• Abarca Pino suffered a loss at No. 4 singles to a tough Madden Vanderwerf by scores of 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 0-1 (5-10).
• Brandon Chu (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) and Vitor Sakakibara (São Paulo, Brazil/Colégio Saber) duked it out at Nos. 6 and 5 singles, respectively. Chu wrapped up his day with a 6-0, 7-5 win before Sakakibara came away with a 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 1-0 (10-4) win over his Ole counterpart to secure the victory.
• Guetten Chaves once again earned back-to-back wins in both singles and doubles play.
• UWS gave the Oles its first loss of the 2024-25 campaign.

 
Superior now waits nearly a month before returning to the court. Their next match will see them face Belhaven (Miss.) at the Gulf Shores Tennis Complex Monday, Mar. 10 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
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