The No. 8 Arizona men’s tennis team celebrated Senior Day on Sunday, April 14, at 1 p.m. at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center as the Wildcats prepared to face the University of Utah. Herman Hoeyeraal, Nick Lagaev and Gustaf Strom were the three seniors who received honors before the match, marking their final appearance for the team at home.
Arizona (19-3, 5-1 in Pac-12) completely outclassed Utah (3-17, 0-6 in Pac-12) in its final home regular-season match, ultimately sweeping the Utes 4-0. From start to finish, the Wildcats dominated in their respective performances, giving fans a memorable final showing as they now head on the road for the remainder of their season.
No. 8 Arizona vs. Utah – Sunday, April 14, 1 p.m.
In the Wildcats’ final match at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center against the Utes, they made sure to send a message not only to their opponents, fans and to other teams paying attention to them, but most importantly, to themselves. With the team losing three of its cornerstone players, there was no better way to leave Tucson than by putting on a memorable performance. Arizona concluded its home campaign of the season on a high note by defeating Utah in a 4-0 sweep.
Arizona was able to secure the doubles point thanks to victories on courts two and three. Hoeyeraal and Eric Padgham claimed a 6-3 victory over Jayson Blando and Michael Blando, while seniors Lagaev and Strom showcased their experience as they put forth a decisive 6-3 win against Dylan Applegate and Geremia Rossi.
In singles play, the Wildcats capitalized on their momentum and won five of their first six sets. Hoeyeraal led the way in singles play as he put on an absolute clinic of a performance against Geronimo Busleiman on court one, resulting in his 6-1, 6-2 victories. Then Lagaev followed his lead and put on a show of his own, giving his opponent no room to breathe, and delivered an overwhelming victory for the Wildcats with his 6-0, 6-2 win against Blando. The singles victory was sealed as No. 77 Strom, in his final match, faced off against Bruno Krenn and left no doubt on the court with his 6-0, 6-2 win to secure the victory for Arizona.
To no one’s surprise, the seniors led the way for this win, but Arizona still has several talented players right behind them to fill those big shoes that will eventually be left empty once this season is over. In the meantime, this team’s focus is on finishing out the season strong. Currently, they sit firmly on the heel of Stanford University in the Pac-12 standings, with two more games remaining in the regular season.
Looking ahead:
Arizona will be heading to Seattle to face off against the University of Washington on Friday, April 19 at 5 p.m. at Bill Quillian Tennis Stadium.
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