WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The University of Dayton men's tennis team picked up its first win of the season against Purdue Monday afternoon, 4-3, with freshman Mikkel Zinder providing the clinching point at the Schwartz Tennis Center.
 
Zinder, playing at No. 5 singles for the Flyers, won 7-5, 6-3 to give UD its second consecutive win over Purdue, having also beaten the Boilermakers last season.
 
The Flyers' two ranked players, Connor Bruce and Luis Saraiva, won the other two singles points, with Bruce taking No. 1 singles 6-3, 6-4 and Saraiva notching a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 4.
 
Dayton jumped out in front thanks to a dominant doubles performance, as Bruce and fellow fifth-year Nikola Puric won at No. 1, 6-4, and Zinder teamed with Eric Perkowski to win at No. 2, 7-5. UD's No. 3 pair was also in front, as Matt DeMarco and Ronit Hiryur held a 6-5 advantage when the Flyers clinched.
 
QUOTABLES
"I'm so proud of the guys," said head coach Ryan Meyer. "We started off hot in doubles and that carried over to singles. We played big points very well and our energy carried us to the finish line."

"After the Indiana match I think as a team we all knew we could've played better and had more energy, and that's what happened today," said freshman Mikkel Zinder. "It was a team effort and everyone contributed whether they were playing or not, the energy was through the roof. Being the clincher felt pretty surreal, knowing that the ball was on my racquet, it's all I've been waiting for my whole life a moment like that."

RESULTS
SINGLES
1. No. 81 Connor Bruce (DAY) def. Aleksa Krivokapic (PUR) 6-3, 6-4
2. Marino Jakic (PUR) def. Matt DeMarco (DAY)  7-6(9), 7-5
3. Stefan Simeunovic (PUR) def. Kyle McNally (DAY) 6-3, 7-6(2)
4. No. 113 Luis Saraiva (DAY) def. Juan David Velasquez (PUR) 6-4, 6-3
5. Mikkel Zinder (DAY) def. Soham Purohit (PUR) 7-5, 6-3
6. Mujtaba Ali-Khan (PUR) def. Eric Perkowski (DAY) 6-3, 6-1
 
DOUBLES
1. Connor Bruce/Nikola Puric (DAY) def. Juan David Velasquez/Marino Jakic (PUR) 6-4
2. Mikkel Zinder/Eric Perkowski (DAY) def. Alexander Ekstrand/Aleksa Krivokapic (PUR) 7-5
3. Matt DeMarco/Ronit Hiryur (DAY) vs. Stefan Simeunovic/Soham Purohit (PUR) 6-5, (Unfinished)
 
UP NEXT
Dayton has a 12-day break before its next match, opening the home portion of the 2024 campaign with a 4 p.m. match on Saturday, Jan. 27 against Ball State at South Regency Tennis Center.
 
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