Hawk Talk Monthly — February | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2019-20 | Fight For Iowa | Box Score (PDF) | Boxscore
SALT LAKE CITY — The No. 23 University of Iowa men’s tennis team was edged, 4-3, at Utah on Friday at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center, snapping its seven-match winning streak. The Utes remained unbeaten at home (8-0).
The Hawkeyes lost the doubles point, but Kareem Allaf/Nikita Snezhko picked up their fourth win out of their last five against Utah’s No. 2 doubles team of Capalbo/Thayne, 7-5. The win was Allaf’s 57th of his career, moving the senior into Iowa’s Top 10. The duos of Will Davies/Oliver Okonkwo (6-4) and Joe Tyler/Matt Clegg (7-6) fell in closely contested matches on courts one and three, respectively.
Davies bounced Wally Thayne (6-0, 3-6, 6-3) to record his seventh straight win and team-leading eighth win of the season on court four. Allaf, ranked 61st nationally, extended his five-match win streak at No. 1, defeating Franco Capalbo in straight sets (7-6, 6-4). Jason Kerst won his match over Azat Hankuliyev a third-set tiebreaker (10-7) after the match was clinched by the Utes. Morgan Lohan, Okonkwo, and Tyler dropped their singles matches.
Quoting Mellecker Family Head Coach Ross Wilson
“Tough match for us when we were one point away from winning the doubles point, which would have resulted in four points today. We competed well, but just didn’t win enough big points today.”
Up Next
The Hawkeyes will travel to No. 35 Denver on Sunday at 11 a.m. (MT) at the Denver Tennis Park.
Utah 4, No. 23 Iowa 3
Feb. 21, 2020 | 2 p.m. (MT) | Salt Lake City, Utah | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Singles
1. #61 Kareem Allaf (UI) def. Franco Capalbo (Utah): 7-6, 6-4
2. Russell Benkaim (Utah) def. Oliver Okonkwo (UI): 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
3. Slava Shainyan (Utah) def. Joe Tyler (UI): 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
4. Will Davies (UI) def. Wally Thayne (Utah): 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
5. Randy Cory (Utah) def. Morgan Lohan (UI): 6-2, 6-2
6. Jason Kerst (UI) def. Azat Hankuliyev (Utah): 7-5, 5-7, 10-7
Doubles
1. #54 Cory/Benkaim (Utah) def. #10 Okonkwo/Davies (UI): 6-4
2. Snezhko/Allaf (UI) def. Capalbo/Thayne (Utah): 7-5
3. Shainyan/Hankuliyev (Utah) def. Clegg/Tyler (UI): 7-6
Match Notes:
Iowa: 7-2
Utah: 8-4
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,2,4,1,3,6)
