FREDERICKSBURG, VA – The Johns Hopkins men's tennis team kicked off the fall portion of its season at the UMW Invitational this past weekend.
 
Junior Thomas Yu opened the weekend with a come-from-behind win over Rishi Charan Shankar (UMW) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (8). He then lost to Karl Hoegstedt (WC) 6-0, 6-3 in the second round. Graduate student Mason Liu dropped his first match for the Blue Jays, falling in three sets to Nick Spera (UMW) 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (8). He then lost to Alvaro Pedraza (GMU) in another tough three-setter 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (11).
 
Graduate student George Jiang opened with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jacob Pfab (UMW). He then beat Ryan Meyer (UMW) 6-0, 6-3. He wrapped up singles play with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Pedraza. Junior Daniel Ardila won his first match of the weekend, beating Zavan Fahim (GMU) 6-4, 0-6, 1-0 (7). He then fell to Monil Lotlikar (GMU) 7-5, 6-3. He then lost a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (7) three-setter to Andrew Watson (UMW).
 
Freshman Prem Dave kicked off his career with three singles wins. He beat Remi Jakobi (WC) 6-4, 6-2 in the first round and then beat Hayden Postin (GMU) 7-6 (2), 4-6, 1-0 (2). He closed out the weekend with a 7-6 (5), 2-0 (ret.) win over Niza Simunyola (GMU). Junior James Yu also won each of his three singles matches. He opened with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Postin and then beat Fahim 6-1, 6-1. On Sunday, he came from behind to beat Lotlikar 6-7 (5), 6-3, 1-0 (5).
 
Sophomore Marco Azar opened with a 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (9) win over Brock Ladehoff (UMW). He then lost to Andrew Cooper (UMW) 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (6). He rebounded with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Dustin Ha (GMU) on Sunday. Freshman Pranav Gadiraju also won his first three singles matches for the Blue Jays. He opened with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Landon Strober (WC) 6-3, 6-2. He followed that with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Artis Hart (UMW) and a 6-2, 6-2 win over Cooper. Graduate student Joe DeMarco won his singles match on Sunday, beating Hart 6-1, 6-4.
 
In doubles action, Ardila and Jiang beat Spera/Leese (UMW) 8-3. The duo followed that with an 8-3 win over Strober/Kawai (WC). Ardila then partnered with DeMarco for an 8-6 win over Spera/Leese. DeMarco paired with Azar to beat Fahim/Simunyola (GMU) 8-6 and then Hart/Pfab 8-7 (1). Jiang and Azar then paired to beat Lotlikar/Pedraza (GMU) 8-5.
 
The Yu brothers lost their first match 8-4 to Sardana/Kham (GMU). The pair then rebounded to beat Hoegstedt/Jakobi (WC) 8-4 and Charan Shankar/Watson (UMW) 8-2. Liu and Gadiraju partnered to bear Evans/Campbell (UMW) 8-2 on Saturday. Gardiraju then paired with Dave on Sunday. The duo dropped their first match 8-4 to Fahim/Simunyola (GMU) 8-4. However, they wrapped up the weekend with an 8-3 win over Ha/Postin (GMU).