ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– The Navy men's tennis team opened its 2021 season by defeating Richmond, 6-1, Saturday at the Tose Family Tennis Center in Annapolis.
 
"It was exciting for the team to have the opportunity to get back out there for the spring season," said Navy head coach Chris Garner.  "I know they have been looking forward to this for a long time."
 
The match began with Navy winning each of the three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead.  The No. 3 team of Finn Garner (So., Arnold, Md.) and Gavin Segraves (So., Charlottesville, Va.) first won a 6-2 decision over Alaister Burke and Alex Wernick.  The Mids earned the point when their No. 2 tandem of Jake Fishkin (Jr., Baltimore, Md.) and Derrick Thompson (Jr., Towson, Md.) combined for a 6-4 victory over Daniel Kliebhan and John Walsh.
 
The remaining match at the No. 1 flight saw Sasha Panyan (Fr., Lutherville, Md.) and Andrew Ton (Sr., Milpitas, Calif.) defeat Matt Fernandez and Josh Keitelman by the score of 6-3.
 
"Our matches with Richmond are always close," said Garner.  "It was good a good start for us to get the doubles point and take the 1-0 lead."
 
Thompson won a 6-2, 6-1 decision over Kliebhan at No. 2 singles to increase the lead out to 2-0.  The advantage became 3-0 when Jack McBride (Jr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) posted a 6-1, 6-2 win over Sebastian Miano at the No. 6 flight.  Garner then defeated Wernick, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 4 singles to clinch the match.
 
Segraves made the score 5-0 when he defeated Keitelman, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 5 singles.  Richmond's John Walsh would top Fishkin, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 3 singles to give the Spiders what would prove to be their lone point of the day.
 
The last match at No. 1 singles between Ton and Fernandez would be extended into a 10-point tiebreaker to decide the match.  Ton won the first set, 6-4, then Fernadez won the second set, 6-2, to force the tiebreaker.  Fernandez took a 5-2 lead in the breaker, but Ton tallied to tie the frame at 6-6.  Ton would go on to win, 10-8, to close out play.
 
"Derrick, Jack and Finn had strong performances to get us to four points," said Garner.  "Gavin did well in coming back from being down a break in the second set, and Andrew won a very competitive match."
 
Navy will be back on the Tose Family Tennis Center courts Feb. 27 when the Mids play host to Delaware.
 
Navy 6, Richmond 1
Doubles (3-2-1) – Navy wins the doubles point
1. Panyan, Sasha / Ton, Andrew (NAVY) def. Fernandez, Matt / Keitelman, Josh (UR) 6-3
2. Fishkin, Jake / Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) def. Kliebhan, Daniel / Walsh, John (UR) 6-4
3. Garner, Finn / Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) def. Burke, Alaister / Wernick, Alex (UR) 6-2
Singles (2-6-4-5-3-1)
1. Ton, Andrew (NAVY) def. Fernandez, Matt (UR) 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8)
2. Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) def. Kliebhan, Daniel (UR) 6-2, 6-1
3. Walsh, John (UR) def. Fishkin, Jake (NAVY) 6-2, 6-4
4. Garner, Finn (NAVY) def. Wernick, Alex (UR) 6-3, 6-1
5. Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) def. Keitelman, Josh (UR) 6-3, 6-4
6. McBride, Jack (NAVY) def. Miano, Sebastian (UR) 6-1, 6-2