GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University men's tennis team made a strong run in singles play to defeat Hope College 4-3 in the MIAA opener on Saturday inside the Huizenga Tennis & Track Center.
 
Calvin (3-5, 1-0 MIAA) fell behind after Hope (5-6, 0-1 MIAA) won the doubles point, but won four of the six singles matches to secure the four points and earn the overall win.
 
The Knights competed well in doubles, but fell to the Flying Dutchmen in all three matches to fall behind 1-0 overall in the match. The one-doubles team of Rodrigo Alipio (Santos, São Paulo, Brazil/COC Universitario) and Mario Neto (Boa Vista, Brazil/Reino) lost in five-singles 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (12-10) lost 6-4, as did the two-doubles team of Felipe Sartori (Estr. Basiléia/Colégio Giusto Zonzini) and Diego Castellanos (Tarija, Bolivia/La Salle Tarija). In three-doubles, the duo of Tanner Warners (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Chistian) and Caleb Bartels(Loch Lloyd, Mo./Kansas City Christian) dropped in their match 6-3.
 
Things would turn quickly in singles play, however, as the top four players in the Calvin line-up turned the match around.
 
Alipio (6-2, 6-2) earned the win in one-singles, followed by straight-set wins by Bartels (6-4, 6-4) in the two spot and Sartori (6-2, 6-0) in three-singles.
 
Needing one more point to earn the win, Castellanos won a three-set thriller 7-6 (7-0), 2-6 and 6-4 in four-singles to secure the fourth and final point and finish off the second Calvin win over Hope in men's tennis since the 2018 season.
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's tennis will return to action on Saturday, April 4, when it competes at Alma College in a match scheduled to start at 11:00 AM.