Singles Sweeps Secure Season-Opening Wins For No. 9 USC Men’s Tennis

LOS ANGELES — The No. 9 USC men's tennis team peeled out to a 2-0 start to 2022 action with back-to-back shutout wins today at Marks Stadium. In all, seven Trojans scored two straight-set singles wins apiece on the day as USC topped UC Davis and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps with 7-0 scorelines.

The day marked victorious dual-match debuts for four first-year Trojans. Transfer Paul Barretto was perfect on court six today, as was freshman #35 Peter Makk on court four and spring addition Ryan Colby at the No. 5 spot. Freshman Colby also boasted the clincher against UC Davis. Newcomer Wojtek Marek, meanwhile, debuted at the No. 3 spot for a smooth win before stepping up to court two against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The freshman scooped up another solid win there to cap off the day for the Trojans.

Against UC Davis in the morning match, USC surrendered just one doubles battle while picking up wins on courts one and two. It came down to a tiebreaker at the No. 2 spot, where Ryder Jackson and Marek teamed up to take control in the breaker for a 7-6 (3) win that sent USC on to singles play with a 1-0 lead on the board. The Trojans would give up no ground to the Aggies in singles, with Marek lighting the fuse on USC's run of straight-set victories. Senior #70 Bradley Frye tallied the  next point, and then freshman Colby locked in the clincher to make it 4-0 USC on his 6-2, 6-3 win from court five. #6 Stefan Dostanic, Makk and Barretto followed with wins, and USC had that 7-0 win in the books with time to set up for the next round.

In their second match of the day, USC gave up no more than four games in any set. After two quick doubles wins from fresh pairings — Colby and Frye on court two and Barretto and Makk on court three — USC stayed hot in singles against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Dostanic, Makk and Barretto each shut out their respective opponent 6-0 in their first sets, and it would be Dostanic hitting the finish line first with a 6-0, 6-3 win  on court one. Makk surrendered just a single game in his 6-0, 6-1 victory at the No. 4 spot, and then Frye hauled in the clincher against the Stags from court three. Barretto and Colby wrapped up next, and Marek topped things off with his win from the No. 2 slot.

The Trojans now turn to another dual-match clash on Sunday (Jan. 23), when USC will host UC Irvine at 3 p.m. at Marks Stadium.

#9 USC 7, UC Davis 0
Jan. 21, 2022 | Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
DOUBLES
(1) Dostanic/Makk (USC) def. Davis/Volgin (UCD) - 6-4
(2) Jackson/Marek (USC) def. Morgan/Torres (UCD) - 7-6 (3)
(3) Brinkman/Necz (UCD) def. Barretto/Colby (USC) - 6-4
USC wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
(1) #6 Stefan Dostanic (USC) def. Andrei Volgin (UCD) - 6-3, 6-4
(2) #70 Bradley Frye (USC) def. Ryan Torres (UCD) - 6-3, 6-2
(3) Wojtek Marek (USC) def. Brett Brinkman (UCD) - 6-0, 6-2
(4) #35 Peter Makk (USC) def. Andras Necz (UCD) - 6-2, 7-5
(5) Ryan Colby (USC) def. Ryan Morgan (UCD) - 6-2, 6-3*
(6) Paul Barretto (USC) def. Mitchell Davis (UCD) - 6-2, 7-5
Order of finish: 3, 2, 5*, 1, 4, 6

#9 USC 7, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
Jan. 21, 2022 | Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
DOUBLES
(1) Dostanic/Marek (USC) vs. Arimilli/Martin (CMS) - 4-5 susp.
(2) Colby/Frye (USC) def. Freer/Robinson (CMS) - 6-1
(3) Barretto/Makk (USC) def. Carroll/Liu (CMS) - 6-3
USC wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 2, 3
SINGLES
(1) #6 Stefan Dostanic (USC) def. Philip Martin (CMS) - 6-0, 6-3
(2) Wojtek Marek (USC) def. Robert Liu (CMS) - 6-3, 6-2
(3) #70 Bradley Frye (USC) def. Ethan Carroll (CMS) - 6-2, 6-2*
(4) #35 Peter Makk (USC) def. Nathan Arimilli (CMS) - 6-0, 6-1
(5) Ryan Colby (USC) def. Ian Freer (CMS) - 6-4, 6-1
(6) Paul Barretto (USC) def. Christopher Li (CMS) - 6-0, 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 4, 3*, 6, 5, 2