OGDEN, Utah – Strong singles play helped secure a 5-2 victory for BYU men’s tennis over Weber State at the Ogden Athletic Club Thursday afternoon.
After losing the doubles point, the Cougars came storming back for wins in straight sets for four of the six singles matches.
“We came out a little slow in doubles to lose the point, but to Weber State’s credit, they played some very good doubles,” said BYU assistant coach Jonathan Sanchez. “I’m really happy with how we rebounded after losing the doubles point going into singles. We picked the energy up and stayed positive on all the courts to really take care of business in singles.”
BYU (7-3) is now winners of six straight matches, the longest streak since a seven-game run from March 26-April 17, 2021.
Doubles
1. Tristan Sarap/Elyes Marouani (WSU) def. Wally Thayne/Zach Fuchs (BYU) 6-1
2. Jordan Coutinho/Connor Kruger (WSU) vs. Jack Barnett/Redd Owen (BYU) 5-3 (unfinished)
3. Matteo Savio/Tuan Minh (WSU) def. Tygen Goldammer/TJ Wells (BYU) 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3
Doubles play went quick, with Wally Thayne and Zach Fuchs facing an early 3-1 deficit. Despite 40-30 lead for the duo in the fifth game, the Wildcats held serve to eventually win 6-1. TJ Wells and Tygen Goldammer then fell 6-3 as Jack Barnett and Redd Owen’s match went unfinished facing a 5-3 deficit.
Singles
1. Jack Barnett (BYU) def. Elyes Marouani (WSU) 6-2, 7-6 (2)
2. Wally Thayne (BYU) def. Tristan Sarap (WSU) 2-6, 6-3, 2-0 (retired)
3. Zach Fuchs (BYU) def. Connor Kruger (WSU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Redd Owen (BYU) def. Jordan Coutinho (WSU) 6-0, 6-2
5. Tygen Goldammer (BYU) def. William Zulch (WSU) 7-5, 6-1
6. Tuan Minh (WSU) def. David Duong (BYU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3, 1, 2, 6
Owen led the way on court four, recording break after break to secure a dominant 6-0 first set win. He continued the momentum, earning a 6-2 second set victory to even the dual match score at 1-1.
Goldammer claimed the next point for the Cougars. After coming out of a first set battle on top at 7-5, the freshman from Tuscaloosa, Alabama took a commanding 3-1 second set lead off a long game point. Goldammer forced his opponent to the right several times before approaching the net for a putaway on the opposite side. He went on to win 6-1.
Fuchs then notched a 6-3, 6-4 win over Connor Kruger at No. 3 singles. With the first set at 3-2 for Fuchs, the junior got a break after a baseline rally ended as Kruger directed the ball to his right before it crashed into the net. Fuchs held serve the rest of the set. During set two, he got an early break and then remained in control the rest of the way to win 6-4.
Next, Barnett seized yet another victory in straight sets at No. 1 singles. Despite a 1-2 first set deficit, the senior went on to win five straight games. The next set proved much closer, as Weber State’s Elyes Marouani stole a break in the first game. Later, Barnett got a break back and things stayed close until the deciding tiebreaker. Barnett overpowered Marouani, imposing his will on consistent baseline rallies and strong net play to take the 7-2 tiebreaker win.
On court two, Thayne dropped the first set 6-2. The junior responded, however, by piecing together a solid 6-3 performance in the second set. Near the beginning of the first set, Wildcat Tristan Sarap suffered a foot injury. Playing a bit more, Thayne went up 2-0 before Sarap ultimately retired. With the victory, Thayne has now won eight singles matches in a row for an 8-1 overall record.
David Duong finished last on court six, falling in a three-set match. The freshman won the first set 6-4 before dropping the second 6-1. Although trailing 3-1 in the final set, Duong got a break. Down 4-5, he tied things up by holding serve before ultimately dropping the third set 7-5.
Up Next
BYU will take on No. 72 Idaho State at home on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 12 p.m. MST. Cheer on the Cougars at the Indoor Tennis Courts or follow along via live scoring or the live stream.