No. 45 Arkansas Sweeps No. 52 Vanderbilt in SEC Home Opener

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 45 Arkansas men’s tennis team (13-4, 1-1) earned its first SEC win since April 21, 2022, after sweeping No. 52 Vanderbilt (9-5, 0-2) in the SEC home opener on Friday evening at Billingsley Tennis Center.

The Razorbacks grabbed an early lead with a doubles sweep to take the 1-0 advantage. Božo Barun and Jared Horwood teamed up for the first time this spring to collect a 6-3 win over Klopper/Ross on court one, while Melvin Manuel and Alan Sau Franco claimed a 7-5 victory against Panarin/Robb-Wilcox at the No. 3 position to secure the doubles point for the Hogs. Connor Smillie and Jake Sweeney’s match went unfinished with the Arkansas duo ahead 6-5.

Benedikt Emesz obtained his sixth singles win this spring after a 6-0, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Coquelin at the No. 5 position. Gerard Planelles Ripoll followed with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Klopper on court two, while Manuel clinched the match for the Razorbacks after a 6-1, 7-6 (6) victory over Casabon at the No. 3 position.

Karlo Kajin picked up another point for the Hogs, earning a 7-5, 6-4 win against Hillhouse on court six as the remaining courts were played out. Stefanos Savva posted his sixth consecutive singles victory after a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over Ross, improving to 11-2 this spring. Barun completed the sweep with a comeback victory after dropping the first set to claim the final point of the match for Arkansas. With the win, Barun collected his second victory against a ranked opponent this season.

The Razorbacks will return to Billingsley Tennis Center on Sunday, March 10, at noon to host No. 24 South Carolina.

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