WEST POINT, N.Y. –– Derrick Thompson, who won both his doubles and singles matches, was one of six members of the Navy men's tennis team to win at least one match during a 4-1 victory by the Mids over Army West Point Saturday afternoon on Malek Courts.
The match served as the annual Star Match, part of the Star Series presented by USAA, between the programs.
Navy has now won five-straight Star Matches.
The first doubles match to finish was the No. 2 contest. Army's Diego Huttepain and Samuel Eden won the first game of the set, but Navy's Jack Dabek and Thompson won the next six to earn the victory.
Finn Garner and Gavin Segraves took a 4-0 lead on David Gorshein and Samuel Haikal in their No. 3 doubles match. The Black Knights won the next two games to draw to within 4-2, then Garner and Segraves won the next two games to give the Mids the victory in the match and the doubles point.
"Our two and three doubles teams each had great starts to their matches and didn't look back," said Navy head coach Chris Garner.
The remaining match that had Navy's Sasha Panyan and Andrew Ton (Jr., Milpitas, Calif.) facing Army's Thomas Lake and A.J. Woodman at the No. 1 flight was tied at 3-3 when it was halted due to the doubles point being determined.
Segraves gave the Mids a 2-0 lead when he lost just one game in defeating Jake Huarte, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 5 singles.
"Gavin played well to get us to two points," said Garner.
Ton made the score 3-0 when he defeated Woodman, 6-4, 6-0, at the No. 1 flight. Ton took a 4-2 first-set lead before each player held serve over the rest of the set to win the first frame.
"Andrew fought through a close first set and was able to carry that momentum over and win in straight sets," said Garner.
Army placed its point on the board thanks to a 6-3, 6-4 win by Eden over Garner at No. 4 singles.
Thompson clinched the match with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory over Huttepain at No. 2 singles. Huttepain took early 3-1 and 4-2 leads in the first set before Thompson took a 5-4 lead. The players then held serve over the next three games to force a tiebreaker. Huttepain ran off the first three points, but Thompson won each of the next seven to take the one-set lead. Thompson carried that momentum over into the start of the second set as he built a 3-0 lead. The margin dwindled to 3-2 before Thompson held serve, broke Huttepain and held serve again to end the match.
"Derrick played well down the stretch to clinch the match," said Garner.
Two matches were left on the court when play was halted. Lake held a 6-4, 4-6, 2-1 lead on Fishkin at No. 3 singles and McBride led Gorshein, 7-6 (7-2), 3-1, at the No. 6 flight.
The seeding and bracket for the Patriot League Tournament will be announced early this coming week. Lehigh is slated to play host to the event Thursday through Sunday. The Mids and the Black Knights have met in each of the last eight and 12 of the last 13 league tournaments.
Navy def. Army, 4-1
Doubles -- Navy wins the doubles point (2-3)
1. Lake, Thomas / Woodman, A.J. (ARMY) vs. Panyan, Sasha / Ton, Andrew (NAVY) 3-3, unfinished
2. Dabek, Jack / Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) def. Eden, Samuel / Huttepain, Diego (ARMY) 6-1
3. Fishkin, Jake / McBride, Jack (NAVY) def. Gorshein, David / Haikal, Samuel (ARMY) 6-2
Singles (5-1-4-2)
1. Ton, Andrew (NAVY) def. Woodman, A.J. (ARMY) 6-4, 6-0
2. Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) def. Huttepain, Diego (ARMY) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
3. Lake, Thomas (ARMY) vs. Fishkin, Jake (NAVY) 6-3, 4-6, 2-1, unfinished
4. Eden, Samuel (ARMY) def. Garner, Finn (NAVY) 6-3, 6-4
5. Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) def. Huarte, Jake (ARMY) 6-1, 6-0
6. Gorshein, David (ARMY) vs. McBride, Jack (NAVY) 6-7 (2-7), 1-3, unfinished
