Men’s Tennis Picks Up First Win of Spring

Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham University men's tennis team closed its weekend with its first win of the spring season, a 5-2 decision over Norfolk State University on Sunday night at Cary Leeds Tennis Center.
 
"It's great to pick up our first win of the spring," said head coach David Slater. "The guys played tough against a determined opponent and managed to come out on top. Hopefully this is something we can build on for the rest of the spring."
 
Fordham opened the match by taking the doubles point, winning two of the three doubles matches. Dhillon Virdee-Oakley and Dhananjay Athreya got things started with a 6-0 win at first doubles over Norfolk State's and Vladisav Gorbatenko and Deniz Okyay and then Will Lokier and Nicolas Garnier clinched the point for the Rams with a 6-0 win at third doubles over Michele Elia and Igor Kubalka.
 
The Rams then won the match by taking four of the six singles matches. Virdee-Oakley got it started with a straight set win at first singles over Gorbatenko, 6-4, 6-2, before Norfolk State made it a 2-1 match with a win at fifth singles.
 
Filip Horak put the Rams up 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over McRae at third singles before Lokier and Ruben Russwurm won minutes apart at fourth and sixth singles, respectively. Lokier dropped the first set to  Okyay at the fourth spot, 6-3, but came back to win the second, 6-1, and the third in a tiebreaker, 7-6(4). Russworm was victorious over Elia at sixth singles, dropping the first set, 6-4, but came back to win the second, 6-2, and the third, 6-1.
 
Fordham 5, Norfolk State 2
Cary Leeds Tennis Courts | Bronx, N.Y.
Sunday, February 23, 2025
 
Singles Competition
1. Dhillon Virdee-Oakley (FOR) def. Gorbatenko, Vladisav (NSUM) 6-4, 6-2
2. Solarski, Jakub (NSUM) def. Dhananjay Athreya (FOR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
3. Filip Horak (FOR) def. McRae, Frederick (NSUM) 6-3, 6-2
4. Will Lokier (FOR) def. Okyay, Deniz (NSUM) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Kubalka, Igor (NSUM) def. Phillip Uhde (FOR) 6-3, 6-2
6. Ruben Russwurm (FORM) def. Elia, Michele (NSUM) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
 
Order of finish: 1, 5, 3, 4, 6, 2
 
Doubles competition
1. Dhillon Virdee-Oakley/Dhananjay Athreya (FOR) def. Gorbatenko, Vladisav/Okyay, Deniz (NSUM) 6-4
2. Solarski, Jakub/McRae, Frederick (NSUM) def. Phillip Uhde/Filip Horak (FOR) 7-5
3. Nicolas Garnier/Will Lokier (FOR) def. Elia, Michele/Kubalka, Igor (NSUM) 6-0
 
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
 
What's Next?
The Rams return to action on Friday, February 28 as they travel to Queens College for a 1:00 p.m. match.