NORFOLK, Va. – After 11 months off from actual competition, the Norfolk State men's tennis team began its 2021 spring season on Saturday morning at Old Dominion's Folkes-Steven Tennis Center. The Monarchs won both doubles matches and swept singles in a 7-0 victory over the Spartans.
 
The Monarchs, who improved to 1-5 on the season, earned a pair of 6-1 wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to start the match. They also won in straight sets in all five singles matches that were contested.
 
Junior Federico Rebecchini came closest to forcing a third-set tiebreaker while competing at the top spot in the lineup. He fell 7-5 to ODU's Luca Maldoner in the first set and then 6-3 in the second after the Monarchs had already clinched the match.
 
Senior Andres Alcaraz succumbed to Tomislav Podvinski at the No. 2 spot, 6-3, 6-2. The first singles match to come to a close came at No. 4 singles, where freshman Ivan Ivars fell to Younes Lalami, 6-1, 6-1.
 
Senior Ignacio Guevel dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Nicola Vidal at No. 3 singles, and sophomore Ibrahim Abbas came up short against ODU's Oliver Tobisch at the fifth position, 6-0, 6-1.
 
In doubles, Rebecchini and Guevel competed at the No. 1 spot, falling to Lalami and Francois Le Tallec. Alcaraz and Ivars dropped their match at No. 2 doubles to Podvinski and Vidal by the same 6-1 score as the first doubles match.
 
NSU did not compete at No. 3 doubles or No. 6 singles.
 
The Spartans will head just a few miles up the road to Virginia Wesleyan next Saturday to take on the Marlins at 12 p.m.