The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Historic day for men’s tennis

Iowa+coach+Ross+Wilson+watches+Joe+Tyler+during+a+tennis+match+between+Iowa+and+Western+Michigan+in+Iowa+City+on+Friday%2C+Jan.+19%2C+2018.+The+Hawkeyes+earned+the+doubles+point+but+lost+the+match+overall%2C+5-2.+
Shivansh Ahuja
Iowa coach Ross Wilson watches Joe Tyler during a tennis match between Iowa and Western Michigan in Iowa City on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. The Hawkeyes earned the doubles point but lost the match overall, 5-2.

The Iowa men’s tennis team shut down No. 14 Dartmouth on Feb. 24 with a 4-3 victory on the road. The first road win of the season was more than a run-of-the-mill victory; the Hawkeyes made history by defeating the highest-ranked opponent in program history.

“We had a great effort by our guys today,” said head coach Ross Wilson in a release. “We were 2 points away from losing the match and then, an hour and a half later, we ended up winning the match, 4-3.”

Doubles competition started out slowly for the Hawkeyes, with Joe Tyler and Jake Jacoby falling (6-0). Iowa picked up the pace at No. 2 doubles with a 6-4 win from freshmen Piotr Smietana and Will Davies.

Kareem Allaf and Jonas Larsen seized the doubles point for Iowa. The duo took down Dartmouth’s 17th-ranked pair with a 7-5 victory, its fourth-straight win since Feb. 11.

The first two singles matches were snatched up by the Big Green. Smietana (6-2, 6-3) and Tyler (6-3, 6-4) both fell in straight sets. Allaf responded with two 6-4 sets, tying team score at 2. Larsen (6-3, 6-3) then fell to Dartmouth’s Peter Conklin.

Davies and senior Josh Silverstein punched in the final two wins for the Hawkeyes. Davies fell behind the first set, took the second, then bounced back from a 4-2 deficit in the third to secure the match.

“To get the biggest win in Iowa’s history on the road is something extremely special,” Davies said in a release. “I’m so happy for this team. We deserved it, and it’s a great way to continue our winning streak heading into our upcoming matches.”

Boss Tennis Center erupted as Silverstein wrapped up a long-fought victory. Losing 6-4 in the first set, he redeemed himself by chalking up two 7-5 wins. “This was an amazing win for the team,” he said.

Silverstein moved to 5-0 in three-set matches for the season.

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Shivansh Ahuja, Senior Photojournalist
Email: [email protected] Shivansh Ahuja is a Photojournalist at The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the UI majoring in mechanical engineering, and he has worked as a photo editor and photojournalist on staff for the last three years.