MILTON, Mass.—Senior Mark Grinhaus (Scarsdale, N.Y.) held on for a tight-victory at number four singles to help UMass Boston men's tennis (4-5) knock off Wentworth Institute of Technology (2-5) 5-4 Wednesday afternoon at the Curry College Tennis Courts.
After taking a 3-1 lead early in the match, the Beacons needed Grinhaus to hold on in a second-set tiebreaker to complete their fourth-consecutive victory. Grinhaus held off Seng Ly 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) to help UMass Boston improve to 6-7 all-time against their Boston neighbors.
Senior captain Charles Lai (Boston, Mass.) swept a pair of matches at number one singles and doubles to improve his personal winning streak to nine in a row. Fellow senior Brian Sou (Revere, Mass.) added a key victory at sixth singles for his first victory since the '11-12 campaign.
UMass Boston opened the match with an 8-4 victory, as Lai and Sean Cullen (Medway, Mass.) made quick work of Matthew Smith and James Drum at number one doubles. The Beacons tacked on a second doubles point at third-flight doubles, as the Beacons' pair of Lyle Analetto (Belmont, Mass.) and Jack Wang (Suzhou, China) earned an 8-5 victory. The third doubles victory marked the first-time all season UMass Boston had claimed a victory at third doubles.
Wentworth countered with a 9-8 (8-6) victory at second doubles, as UMass Boston's pair of Eglis Bizhoti (Kucove, Albania) and Grinhaus could never quite make up for their early 5-0 deficit.
Lai quickly pushed the lead back to two for UMass Boston, as the reigning Little East Conference Player of the Week swept Drum 6-0, 6-0 at number one singles.
Wentworth responded with a pair of victories at number three and two singles. Smith downed Wang 6-0, 6-1 at third-flight doubles, while Smith defeated Bizhoti 6-2, 6-3 at number two singles.
The Leopards took their lone lead of the match at 4-3, when Dylan Melnik knocked off Analetto 6-2, 6-2 at number five singles.
UMass Boston evened the match moments later, when Sou picked up his first win of the year with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at sixth-singles over Josh Dowd.
Sou's victory pushed the spotlight on Ly and Grinhaus who were in the midst of a competitive second set. After Grinhaus took the first set 6-4, Ly was leading 4-3 in the second and threatening to push the match to a third set. Grinhaus fought off two set points while trailing 5-4 to force a tiebreaker and cruised through the tiebreaker (7-1).
UMass Boston will play their second match in as many days Thursday, when they resume their Little East Conference match against the University of Southern Maine at 3 p.m. The Beacons, who are trailing the Huskies 2-1 in the match, will be playing at the Boston Sportsman's Club.
