SAINT PETER, Minn. – In a battle between two top-five teams, the No. 1-ranked University of Chicago men's tennis team secured a 5-2 victory over No. 5 Denison on Saturday at the Swanson Tennis Center. The Maroons overcame an early deficit in doubles play with a dominant singles performance, extending their unbeaten start to the season at 8-0.

Denison Strikes First in Doubles

Denison gained the early edge by taking two of three doubles matches to secure the first point of the day. Emil Grantcharov and Derek Hsieh fell at No. 2 doubles, 6-3, while Andrei Leonov and Pat Otero dropped a tight 7-6 (7-3) battle at No. 1.

UChicago salvaged a win at No. 3 doubles, where Alexander Ekstrand and Michael Choi delivered a strong 6-4 victory, setting the stage for the Maroons' singles resurgence.

Maroons Take Over in Singles Play

Trailing 1-0 heading into singles, UChicago wasted no time flipping the script. Ekstrand got the Maroons on the board first with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles, followed by Otero cruising to a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 6.

At No. 5, Sher secured a key straight-set win, taking down his opponent 6-5, 7-6 to push UChicago ahead 3-1. Choi then delivered a clutch three-set victory at No. 4, bouncing back from a second-set setback to win 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) and clinch the match for the Maroons.

Grantcharov capped off the win with a come-from-behind triumph at No. 2, battling back to earn a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Denison's lone singles point came at the top spot, where Hsieh pushed his match to three sets but ultimately fell 6-2, 6-7 (7-3), 6-1.

With another impressive win, UChicago continues to showcase its depth and resilience against top-ranked competition. The Maroons will now turn their attention to the ITA Indoor National Championship, where they'll face No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in a 2024 NCAA National Championship rematch. The showdown is set for Sunday, February 23, at 9:00 AM.