Bulls Open Spring With First Ever Win Over Harvard

BOSTON, MA – The University at Buffalo men's tennis team started its spring season on a high note Sunday as the Bulls came away with their first ever win over Harvard, defeating the Crimson, 4-3. Harvard, known to be one of the top teams in the Ivy League, made it to the round of 32 in last year's NCAA Tournament.

The Bulls won the doubles point early on and that turned out to be the difference in the match. Junior Vilhelm Fridell and freshman Simon Wibler won their match at first doubles, 6-4, and then UB won the deciding match at third doubles as sophomores Matthew Johnson and Valdemar Holm won in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (10), giving UB the early 1-0 lead.

Buffalo and Harvard split the six singles matches as each came away with three victories. The Crimson won at five and three to take a 2-1 lead, but UB was able to tie it back up at sixth singles as Johnson came away with a 6-3, 7-6 win. Harvard won at second singles to take the 3-2 lead and needed just one more victory, but it would never come as the Bulls claimed the final two matches.

The first came at fourth singles as sophomore Nickolas Frisk won, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to tie the match at 3-3, leaving the contest to be decided at first singles between Fridell and Harvard's Andy Zhou. The Crimson took the first set 6-3 before Fridell won the second in a tiebreaker, 7-6. The junior then dominated the third set, 6-2, clinching the match and giving Buffalo its season opening victory.