WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The duo of
Jimmy Beckwith and
Maik Steiner teamed up to win the Flight C Doubles final, as well as their own respective singles draws, and the Western Michigan men's tennis team completed a successful three-day run at the Purdue Fall Invitational on Sunday. It is the second straight year the Broncos have had multiple individuals win titles at the Purdue tournament.
After advancing to the finals by winning their first three doubles matches of the weekend, the pairing of Steiner and Cahn took a tight decision against Valparaiso's Lucas Waak and Michael Savaglio to clinch the Flight C crown on Sunday. The two teams were all tied up at 7-7 and went to a tiebreaker to decide the match; Steiner and Beckwith outlasted the pair of Crusaders by a 7-3 score in the tiebreaker to take the match and the bracket.
Those two individuals also claimed victories in their respective singles brackets, with Steiner winning the Flight B Singles draw and Beckwith winning the Flight G bracket. Steiner was faced with the unique circumstance of having to play against his own teammate, Andrew Cahn. The two players split the first two sets, with Steiner downing Cahn 6-1 in the first set and Cahn taking the second set 6-4. Steiner won in the tiebreaker set, though, claiming the first singles title of his career.
Beckwith, meanwhile, squared off against Sebastian Mueller of Eastern Kentucky, and the junior made fairly quick work of his opponent to earn his first singles title of the year. Beckwith took a tight set 6-4 to open the match, and cruised past Mueller 6-2 in the second to take the match and the Flight G Singles title.
Flight B Singles - Finals
Maik Steiner (WMU) def. Andrew Cahn (WMU) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (7)
Flight C Singles – Consolation Final
Lucas Tsai (Chicago) def. Matt Hamiltion (WMU) 7-5, 7-5
Flight G Singles – Finals
Jimmy Beckwith (WMU) def. Sebastian Mueller (EKU) 6-4, 6-2
Flight C Doubles – Finals
Jimmy Beckwith/Maik Steiner (WMU) def. Lucas Waak/Michael Savaglio (Valpo) 8-7 (3)