Ball State Box Score / Chicago State Box Score / Chicago State (2) Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Three matches in nine hours may seem like a daunting way to begin a new season; Purdue never flinched. The team opened the spring Saturday against Ball State and Chicago State twice, winning all three matches.
The Boilermakers first faced the Cardinals at noon and quickly picked up the doubles point. Gergely Madarasz and Lucas Omer Dages struck first, winning their match 6-0; Athell Bennett and Benjamin Ugarte finished moments later with a 6-1 mark.
In singles, Bennett secured the team's second point, defeating Marko Guzina 6-3, 6-0. Renan Hanayama then beat Patrick Downs 6-2, 6-3 to put the Boilermakers one point away from the match. No. 70 Benjamin Ugarte led Nemanja Guzina 6-4, 5-5 and wouldn't give up another point the rest of the way.
At 40-0, Ugarte broke Guzina with a forehand down the line, advancing the score to 6-4, 6-5. Ugarte then picked up two quick points, and at 30-0, Guzina lost control of his final two returns - the first long and the second wide. Purdue clinched the victory at 4-0, with the match's final score settling at 5-2.
After an hour and a half break, Purdue returned to the court to face Chicago State at 4:30 and 7 p.m.
The Cougars were no match for the Boilermakers, traveling with only five eligible players; though Purdue didn't need the advantage.
The team won the first match 7-0; No. 49 Madarasz picked up his first singles victory 6-0, 6-2 after falling earlier in the day. Dominik Sochurek and Ricky Medinilla also earned points for the team, defeating their opponents 6-0, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-2 respectively.
In the final match of the day's tripleheader, the teams forewent doubles and only competed in 5 singles matches with the sixth point again being awarded to Purdue by forfeit.
Sochurek finished first with a 6-0, 6-2 victory; Medinilla followed 6-4, 6-0. Hanayama then closed out the match for the Boilermakers 6-1, 6-3. The team's final score stood perfect at 6-0 thanks to a come-from-behind win by Dages, finishing 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8).
Purdue travels to its first tournament of the spring next weekend, competing in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Athens, Georgia. The Boilermakers will face the Bulldogs in the first round, and then the winner of Alabama and Washington in the second. The team returns home Feb. 5 for another tripleheader against Drake and Indiana Tech twice.
