DENVER – The University of Denver men's tennis team earned a 4-3 come-from-behind win against regional rival Utah at Denver Tennis Park on Friday evening.
 
The Utes claimed a 2-0 lead off a win in doubles followed by a win at No. 5 singles before the Pioneers rattled off four consecutive wins to clinch the dual at No. 2 singles.
 
Doubles:
Utah earned the match's first win, a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles before claiming the point in the top double match, getting the only break on a deuce point to go up 6-5.
 
The day's only unfinished match came in the No. 3 doubles spot with Denver's duo of Raffaello Papajcik and Aaron Beduhn sitting on match point at deuce after earning a late break.
 
Singles:
Denver regrouped to start singles, winning four of six first sets, though Utah went up 2-0 in the scoreboard after winning in straight set at No. 5 singles.
 
Freshman Beduhn started the DU comeback with a straight-sets win of his own – the first of his young collegiate dual career. In both sets, he held an early break lead but saw his opponent get back on level terms before Beduhn once again reclaimed a lead on his way to a 6-4 win in each frame.
 
The only other singles match to end in two sets saw sophomore Theo Coats claim the victory. He started quickly with wins in the first three games but needed another break in what would be the first set's final game to take it., 6-4. In the second set, he also grabbed an early break but this time maintained the lead on his way to a 6-3 win, bringing Denver level at 2-2 overall.
 
Papajcik gave DU its first lead of the night in his first ever appearance at No. 1 singles. The first stayed on serve all the way until he got the break at deuce for a 6-4 win. He held a break lead in the second set but saw it slip away, sending him to a decisive set. The DU senior responded with a quick break, winning the match's final four games.
 
In similar fashion, sophomore Samuel Rovai won his opening set but ultimately needed a third to get the win – and clinch the dual for Denver. Like Papajcik, a late break in the first set put the Pioneer on the board first. In the second set, he rallied from a break down to get even at 3-3, though he surrendered a break once more two games later and found himself in a third set. After going down 2-4, he regrouped to go on a four-game win streak, winning the set, 6-4, and completing DU's comeback.
 
Though the dual's outcome was finalized, the team's allowed the final singles match to play out its final games, seeing Utah get a third overall point in a three-set win in the No. 4 spot.
 
Up Next:
The University of Denver men's tennis team wraps up its four-match home stand to start 2026 when it hosts Montana at Denver Tennis Park on Sunday, February 8, at 10:30 a.m. MT.