MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – In a match that was in the balance till the very last point, the Whitworth Pirates prevailed 5-4 over the Linfield Wildcats on Saturday at the Linfield Tennis Center.
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Saturday was the Northwest Conference opener for all men's tennis programs. Whitworth is 1-6 and 1-0 in NWC play, Linfield is 0-2 and 0-1 in NWC.
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SINGLES
Linfield had a 3-0 lead after the doubles round. Kincaid Norris defeated
Cameron Ventura 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 3 singles spot to bring it to 3-1 Linfield. Whitworth's top singles player Ethan Violette secured the second point for the Pirates, defeating Blake Fuentes-Gilbert, 7-5, 7-5.
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Michael Manion brought it to 4-2 in Linfield's advantage with a three-set win over Cameron Brewer at second singles. Manion won the first set 6-2 and third set 7-5. Brewer won the second, 6-3.
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A point away from losing the match, the Pirates' Jonathan Hutley kept them alive at 4-3 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over
Josef Shum in fifth singles. Whitworth tied the match at four when Brenden Archer defeated
Will Worth at No. 4 singles, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 6-3.
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Just about two minutes after the completion of the fourth singles match, Nathan Tjelli secured the match win for Whitworth, defeating
Ethan Myers, 6-3, 6-3.
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DOUBLES
The Wildcats' pair of Ventura and Manion defeated the Pirates' Violette and Norris, 8-2, at first doubles. Worth and Shum won their match with a score of 8-5 at second doubles over Archer and Tjelli.
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Fuentes Gilbert and Shum downed Cameron Brewer and Ethan Warring, 8-0 at No. 3 doubles to secure a complete sweep in the doubles round for Linfield.
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UP NEXT
After playing for five and a half hours on Saturday, both teams are back on the court at the Linfield Tennis Center on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Sunday's match is a non-conference match.
