KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's tennis team sent its seniors off in style on Friday with a dominant effort on the home courts, as the Broncos shut out the Toledo Rockets 7-0 at Sorensen Courts on WMU's campus. With the win, the Broncos finish the regular season with an 18-6 overall record and a 3-2 record in Mid-American Conference play.
Now all eyes will turn to Sunday's match between Northern Illinois and Buffalo. Should the Bulls defeat the Huskies, WMU and NIU will share the MAC regular season title with identical 3-2 records. Northern Illinois would remain the top seed in the MAC Tournament, though, as they hold a tiebreaker over the Broncos due to head-to-head competition.
Jefta Kecic clinched the team win for the Broncos with a thorough shutdown of the Rockets' Nicky Wong, winning 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles match. Kecic improved to 23-12 on the season with the win, including a 6-2 mark in the No. 2 spot of the line-up. Matt Hamilton recorded his team-best 31st win of the season to open the singles session, beating Roberto Meza 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 4 singles match to make it 2-0, and Pablo Mora was dominant in his final match at Sorensen Courts, defeating Garrett Cona 6-2, 6-0 in the No. 6 singles match.
The Broncos continued to roll through the singles session, though, with Maik Steiner closing out the day by beating the Rockets' top player Stjepan Sisko. Steiner fell in a tight 7-5 decision in the first set but dominated the second, winning 6-1 to send the match to a third-set tiebreaker. Steiner eked out the 10-8 decision to snap Sisko's 10-match win streak and deal him his only loss against MAC opposition. Ruben Greiner took a tight match with Omar Espinosa in the No. 3 holes, winning 6-4, 6-4, and Jimmy Beckwith came back from a 4-1 deficit in the second set to beat Stephen Miller 6-0, 7-5 in the No. 5 singles match.
The day started with a strong effort in doubles action, beginning with Hamilton and Steiner beating Miller and Wong 6-1 in the No. 3 singles match to take the edge. Beckwith and Stephen Payne finished it off with a similarly strong effort against Cona and Meza, winning 6-2 to take the doubles point.
Western Michigan 7, Toledo 0
Singles competition
1. Maik Steiner (WMU) def. Stjepan Sisko (UT) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8)
2. Jefta Kecic (WMU) def. Nicky Wong (UT) 6-2, 6-3
3. Ruben Greiner (WMU) def. Omar Espinosa (UT) 6-4, 6-4
4. Matt Hamilton (WMU) def. Roberto Meza (UT) 6-1, 6-0
5. Jimmy Beckwith (WMU) def. Stephen Miller (UT) 6-0, 7-5
6. Pablo Mora (WMU) def. Garrett Cona (UT) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Ruben Greiner/Jefta Kecic (WMU) vs. Stjepan Sisko/Omar Espinosa (UT) 3-3, unfinished
2. Jimmy Beckwith/Stephen Payne (WMU) def. Garrett Cona/Roberto Meza (UT) 6-2
3. Matt Hamilton/Maik Steiner (WMU) def. Stephen Miller/Nicky Wong (UT) 6-1
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (4,6,2,5,3,1)
Conditions: 70 degrees, sunny, no wind
