NEWARK, NJ - The NJIT men's tennis team rolled to another win on Friday, this time defeating visiting Fordham 6-1 at the Naimoli Tennis Center on campus.

With the win, the Highlanders improved to 5-0 on the season, matching their best start since they also started 5-0 in 2021.

After dropping the doubles point, NJIT rallied by sweeping all six singles matches and the squad still hasn't given up a singles point through five matches this season.

"Our guys came out with great attitude and intensity today, but unfortunately we made some mistakes at crucial times which cost us the doubles point," said second-year Head Coach Marco Matteucci. "We stayed fired up in singles play and it showed across the board!"

After Pablo Perez Ramos and Josh Smith were the only Highlanders victorious in doubles play, NJIT quickly got on the board in singles play thanks to decisive wins at the top two positions from Perez Ramos and Nejc Skorjanc. Perez Ramos won 6-0, 6-3, while Skorjanc defeated his opponent 6-1, 6-3.

With NJIT already ahead in the match, Smith put the Highlanders in front 3-1 thanks to a 6-3, 6-3 victory at #4 singles before Amine El Kholti clinched the victory, coming from behind at #3 singles with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 win. 

NJIT completed the singles sweep with wins at #5 and #6 from Wil Jenkins and Ashwin Kanetkar, respectively. Jenkins won 2-6, 6-1, 10-6, while Kanetkar was victorious in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

"It was a solid team win today against a Fordham squad that competed very well against us," concluded Matteucci. 

The Highlanders will look to make it six in a row on Sunday when they host Binghamton at 11am back in the Naimoli Tennis Center. 

COMPLETE RESULTS

Singles competition

1. Pablo Perez Ramos (NJIT) def. Quinn Fender (FOR) 6-0, 6-3

2. Nejc Skorjanc (NJIT) def. Nicholas Kanazirev (FOR) 6-1, 6-3

3. Amine El Kholti (NJIT) def. Toi Kobayashi (FOR) 1-6, 6-1, 6-0

4. Josh Smith (NJIT) def. Giorgio Soemarno (FOR) 6-3, 6-3

5. Wil Jenkins (NJIT) def. Dhillon Virdee-Oakle (FOR) 2-6, 6-1, 10-6

6. Ashwin Kanetkar (NJIT) def. Sampras Rakotondrain (FOR) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Pablo Perez Ramos/Josh Smith (NJIT) def. Quinn Fender/Giorgio Soemarno (FOR) 6-2

2. Nicholas Kanazirev/Toi Kobayashi (FOR) def. Wil Jenkins/Samuel Townes (NJIT) 6-3

3. Sampras Rakotondrain/Dhillon Virdee-Oakle (FOR) def. Pavel Petrov/Nejc Skorjanc (NJIT) 6-4

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,2,4,3,5,6)