The College of Staten Island men's tennis team broke a three-game skid and opened the CUNYAC portion of their schedule with a solid win, picking up a lop-sided, 9-0, final over visiting Lehman College in a match played earlier this afternoon at the CSI Tennis Center. CSI improved to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in the CUNYAC, while Lehman dipped to 0-3, 0-2, respectively.
Play began with doubles, and CSI got the benefit of a conceded flight at the No. 3 position, winning by default. Already up 1-0, the Dolphins scored another couple of wins in doubles, one by way of a thriller at the No. 1 position.
After Anton Vilinskiy and Robert Hargraves scored an 8-4 win in No. 2 doubles, play was still going strong at No. 1, where CSI's team of Joe Taranto and Riad Hamai were in a dead-heat with Lehman's Raul Santana and Ryan Magsino. The netters traded points, until ultimately CSI had a chance to seal the match. On three occasions, the Lightning countered by breaking match point, and finally, after an 8-8 result, a 10-point tiebreaker was needed. There, CSI got the boost it needed, as the team of Taranto and Hamai powered to a 10-4 win in the tiebreak to win the match 9-8 (10-4), giving the hosts a 3-0 lead after doubles.
CSI used the emotional lift to rip through singles play. No. 1 singles player Konstantin Trofimovich, who was held out of doubles play, scored a 6-0, 6-0, win over Santana, and shortly after, Hargraves, at No. 5 singles, scored a 6-0, 6-1 win over LC's Joseph Veras. Georgio Dano followed suit with a 6-1, 6-1, win at No. 4.
In the final two singles frames, Joe Taranto powered to a 6-1, 6-0, win at No. 3, and in the afternoon's final match to finish, Vilinskiy, playing in the No. 2 position, moved past Magsino, 6-1, 6-2.
After a trio of losses, CSI head coach Paul Ricciardi was ecstatic with the result.
“We had a team meeting yesterday after a few tough losses and we really wanted to refocus and come out strong,” he said. “I can't say enough how exciting this win was and how proud I am of how we've responded and come together. This is the kind of tennis we are capable of.”
The 9-0 win by the Dolphins also avenged a tough, 5-4, loss at the hands of the Lightning a year ago.
With a win under their belt to open conference play, CSI will look to continue the run into the week. On Tuesday, CSI will host Baruch College at the CSI Tennis Center at 3:30pm. CSI fell to Baruch, 8-1, a year ago, and the Bearcats are the defending CUNYAC Champions.
