WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point men’s tennis didn’t get the start it wanted in doubles Thursday night at the Lichtenberg Tennis Center.
They got the finish it needed.
After dropping the doubles point, the Black Knights responded with a surge in singles, winning five of six matches to secure a 5–2 victory over Pratt CC in their spring opener. Army opened the season 1–0, using depth and composure to flip the match after an early deficit.
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Doubles: Pratt Strikes First
Pratt CC grabbed the early advantage by taking two of the three doubles matches.
Army’s bright spot came at No. 3, where Preston Achter and Davis McDonald delivered a tight 7–6 (5) win over Edward Westfall and Daniil Blinov. But Pratt answered with wins at the top two positions to claim the doubles point and a 1–0 lead heading into singles.
Singles: Army Turns the Match
Pratt carried momentum into singles and extended the lead to 2–0 with a win at No. 3, as Sam Dinneen defeated Marcus Sebastian 6–2, 6–4.
From there, Army settled in — and started stacking points.
Alan Ton put the Black Knights on the board with a 6–4, 6–2 win at No. 4 over Tiaan Nelson, cutting the deficit to 2–1.
Davis McDonald followed with a steady 6–3, 6–4 win at No. 5 against Matthew Harris to level the match at 2–2.
The turning point came at No. 6.
Freshman Rudy Mazzola delivered a statement performance, rolling to a 6–2, 6–1 win over Thiofhi Tshivhase to give Army its first lead of the night, 3–2.
With the match in clinching position, Matias Feoli finished the job at No. 2, defeating Kenta Kawada 6–1, 6–4 to lock in the team victory.
Black Knights News:
- Army Can’t Complete the Sweep Over Robert Morris Falling 3-0 to the Colonials
- Army Survives Scare in D.C., Outlasts American 63-56
- Army Outlasts Robert Morris in Overtime To Earn Extra Point
Closing Drama at No. 1
Even after the match was decided, the top court delivered the night’s most dramatic finish.
Jackson Armistead dropped the first set, then battled back to take the second and win the super tiebreaker, defeating Kenneth Rabinad Vila 5–7, 7–5, 1–0 (10–5).
It was the kind of gritty, late-match edge that sets the tone early in a season — and it capped Army’s five-point singles response after losing the doubles point.
Results
Doubles
- Kenneth Rabinad Vila/Sam Dinneen (PRATT) def. Matias Feoli/Marcus Sebastian (ARMY), 7–6 (5)
- Kenta Kawada/Thiofhi Tshivhase (PRATT) def. Rudy Mazzola/Alan Ton (ARMY), 6–3
- Davis McDonald/Preston Achter (ARMY) def. Edward Westfall/Daniil Blinov (PRATT), 7–6 (5)
Singles
- Jackson Armistead (ARMY) def. Kenneth Rabinad Vila (PRATT), 5–7, 7–5, 1–0 (10–5)
- Matias Feoli (ARMY) def. Kenta Kawada (PRATT), 6–1, 6–4
- Sam Dinneen (PRATT) def. Marcus Sebastian (ARMY), 6–2, 6–4
- Alan Ton (ARMY) def. Tiaan Nelson (PRATT), 6–4, 6–2
- Davis McDonald (ARMY) def. Matthew Harris (PRATT), 6–3, 6–4
- Rudy Mazzola (ARMY) def. Thiofhi Tshivhase (PRATT), 6–2, 6–1
Up Next
Army returns to the Lichtenberg Tennis Center on Saturday for a doubleheader, hosting St. Bonaventure at 12 p.m. and Sacred Heart at 6 p.m. A live stream of both matches will be available on goarmywestpoint.com.
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