DENVER – The University of Denver men's tennis team captured five wins on the first day of the Colorado Cup at Denver Tennis Park on Friday.
 
Four Denver players – senior Rikuto Yamaguchi, junior Ryoma Mishiro and freshmen Mark Neyelov and Samuel Rovai – landed wins in singles while the duo of Rovai/Yamaguchi added a victory in doubles.
 
Mishiro and senior Relja Eskic drew double duty, playing matches in both of the day's sessions. They first teamed up in doubles before splitting results in singles with both matches going three sets.
 
In the afternoon session, Denver and Gonzaga met for a dual with the Bulldogs sneaking the edge in doubles before the teams each earned three singles wins. For Denver, Rovai/Yamaguchi wrapped things up quickly with a bagel. Gonzaga drew things level on Court 2. DU graduate student Connor Robb-Wilcox made his Denver debut with freshman Theo Coats in doubles, though the Pioneers dropped a close match in a tiebreak.
 
Singles proved as competitive as doubles between DU and GU. Four of the six matches went a full three sets including Yamaguchi's win to end the day. Denver newcomers Neyelov and Rovai captured the lone straight-sets wins of the session.
 
Also in action on Friday were the tournament's other three teams: Air Force, Penn and Wichita State.
 
Play continues at the Colorado Cup on Saturday with Denver taking on players from Penn and Wichita State at 9 a.m. MT, followed by Air Force versus Gonzaga at 1 p.m. MT and Penn against Wichita State at 2 p.m. MT. All matches are held at Denver Tennis Park, and admission is free.
 
FRIDAY'S MORNING RESULTS
DOUBLES
Bharadwaj/Goodman (Penn) def. Kersten/Brown (AFA): 6-4
Deaton/Moore (AFA) def. Sai/Chung (Penn): 6-1
Tingleaf/Fritzinger (AFA) def. Mishiro/Eskic (DU): 6-2
 
SINGLES
Phillip Deaton (AFA) def. Baylor Sai (Penn): 6-4 7-6(7)
Justin Chung (Penn) def. AJ Moore (AFA): 4-6 6-3 6-2
Tal Goodman (Penn) def. Alec Fritzinger (AFA): 6-3 7-6(0)
Jack Brown (AFA) def. Parashar Bharadwaj (Penn): 6-4 3-6 6-3
Ryoma Mishiro (DU) def. Langdon Tingleaf (AFA): 6-3 6-7(0) 6-3
Matthew Staton (AFA) def. Relja Eskic (DU): 7-6(1) 2-6 6-3
 
FRIDAY'S AFTERNOON RESULTS
DOUBLES
Branchetti/Fairclough (GONZ) def. Coats/Robb-Wilcox (DU): 7-6(5)
Krauel/Ampaw (GONZ) def. Mishiro/Neyelov (DU): 6-4
Rovai/Yamaguchi (DU) def. Dunlop/Rashed (GONZ): 6-0
 
Worthington/Luehti (WSU) def. Kersten/Brown (AFA): 6-2
Goodman/Bharadwaj (Penn) def. Deaton/Moore (AFA): 7-5
Sai/Chung (Penn) def. Fritzinger/Tingleaf (AFA): 7-6(3)
Wolf/Staton (AFA) def. Mindrut/Bracks (WSU): 6-4
 
SINGLES
Giovanni Branchetti (GONZ) def. Ryoma Mishiro (DU): 5-7 6-4 6-4
Samuel Rovai (DU) def. Jay Fairclough (GONZ): 6-4 7-5
Rikuto Yamaguchi (DU) def. Kai-Luca Ampaw (GONZ): 5-7 7-5 6-1
Tom Dunlop (GONZ) def. Theo Coats (DU): 4-6 6-3 7-5
Mark Neyelov (DU) def. Oscar Rashed (GONZ): 7-5 6-4
Gus Krauel (GONZ) def. Relja Eskic (DU): 6-7(1) 6-3 6-2
 
Arjun Kersten (AFA) def. Luke Bracks (WSU): 7-5 6-3
Ilias Worthington (WSU) def. AJ Moore (AFA): 6-2 6-4
Justin Chung (Penn) def. Alec Fritzinger (AFA): 6-4 7-5
Tal Goodman (Penn) def. Jack Brown (AFA): 6-1 6-1
Luca Mindrut (WSU) def. Langdon Tingleaf (AFA): 6-7(5) 7-5 6-4
Matthew Staton (AFA) def. Arenui Luethi (WSU): 6-2 6-1
Parashar Bharadwaj (Penn) def. Luke Wolf (AFA): 6-2 6-4
 
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