By: Ryan Hartwig (@RyanHartwig)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
CHICAGO (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay men's tennis team picked up a hard-fought road victory on Sunday, knocking off DePaul 5-2 at Lakeshore Sport and Fitness in Chicago. The Phoenix, which improves to 10-6 with the win, defeated the Blue Demons (3-12) for the first time in program history.
Green Bay jumped out to the early lead by winning two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. Sophomore Michael Tenzer (Neuried, Germany) and freshman Joey Leto (Downers Grove, Ill.) teamed up for a dominant 8-2 victory over DePaul's Kyle Johnson and Paul John at No. 3, while sophomore Michael Tebon (Excelsior, Minn.) and freshman Howard Scott (Exeter, England) closed out an 8-6 win over Mathias Hambach and Jan-Willem Feilzer at No. 2.
The Blue Demons grabbed wins at the top two singles spots, but the Phoenix claimed the No. 3 through No. 6 matches to hand DePaul its first home loss of the season (3-1).
Craig Cox (Surrey, England) won a tough battle at No. 3, defeating Blue Demons freshman Sten Leusink in a third-set tiebreaker. Cox edged Leusink 7-6 (0) in the opener before dropping a 7-6 (7) decision in the second. The Phoenix senior was able to bounce back in the third, posting a 7-5 win.
Newcomers Leopold Gomez Islinger (Weiden, Germany) and Scott also earned three-set wins, as Gomez Islinger took down Feilzer 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5 at No. 4 and Scott defeated Johnson 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3 at No. 5. Rowan Isaaks (London, England), another freshman, picked up Green Bay's lone straight-set singles win, beating John 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6.
The meeting with DePaul marked Green Bay's final non-conference contest of the regular season, as the Phoenix now turns its attention to Horizon League competition. Green Bay opens the conference slate with a pair of road matches this weekend, traveling to Valparaiso on Friday (3 p.m.) and UIC on Saturday (2 p.m.).
Green Bay 5, DePaul 2
Singles
No. 1 – Filip Dzanko (DEP) def. Michael Tenzer (GB) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
No. 2 – Mathias Hambach (DEP) def. Erik Finkenbrink (GB) 6-3, 7-5
No. 3 – Craig Cox (GB) def. Sten Leusink (DEP) 7-6 (0), 6-7 (7), 7-5
No. 4 – Leopold Gomez Islinger (GB) def. Jan-Willem Feilzer (DEP) 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5
No. 5 – Howard Scott (GB) def. Kyle Johnson (DEP) 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3
No. 6 – Rowan Isaaks (GB) def. Paul John (DEP) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 – Dzanko/Leusink (DEP) def. Cox/Finkenbrink (GB) 9-8 (5)
No. 2 – Scott/Tebon (GB) def. Hambach/Feilzer (DEP) 8-6
No. 3 – Tenzer/Leto (GB) def. Johnson/John (DEP) 8-2
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