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The New York University men's tennis team lost its 2015 spring season opener, 5-4, to Swarthmore College on Saturday, February 28, in Swarthmore, PA.

Junior Sidd Thangirala and freshman Ian Combemale earned an 8-3 win in #1 doubles to give the Violets an early lead.

"Sidd and Ian played a good match," said NYU Head Coach Horace Choy. "They got off to a good start and won pretty handily."

Senior Billy Smithline and freshman Karan Goyal won their #2 doubles match as well, and NYU held a 2-1 lead heading into singles play.

In singles play however, Swarthmore won four of the six matches to come away with the close victory.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

- Freshmen Samuel Khoshbin and Jiri Honajzer each won their singles match in straight sets. Koshbin (#5) defeated Swarthmore's Matt Hirsh 6-3, 6-4, and Honajzer (#6) was victorious against Yosuke Higashi by a score of 6-4, 6-1. 

- Thangirala played a close match in the #1 singles spot, losing to Swarthmore's John Larkin 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

"Sidd played a close match, as close as they come," added Choy.

The Violets return to the court for a road tilt against Skidmore College on Saturday, March 7, in Saratoga Springs, NY.

RESULTS:

Doubles:
1. Sidd Thangirala/Ian Combemale (NYUM) def. Ari Cepelewicz/Mark Fallati (SWATM) 8-3
2. Billy Smithline/Karan Goyal (NYUM) def. Thomas Vernier/Harrison Lands (SWATM) 9-8 (7-3)
3. John Larkin/Blake Oetting (SWATM) def. David Zumwalt/Samuel Khoshbin (NYUM) 8-4

Singles:
1. John Larkin (SWATM) def. Sidd Thangirala (NYUM) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
2. Mark Fallati (SWATM) def. Ian Combemale (NYUM) 6-4, 6-1
3. Ari Cepelewicz (SWATM) def. Karan Goyal (NYUM) 6-1, 6-2
4. Blake Oetting (SWATM) def. Matt DeMichiel (NYUM) 6-0, 6-2
5. Samuel Khoshbin (NYUM) def. Matt Hirsh (SWATM) 6-3, 6-4
6. Jiri Honajzer (NYUM) def. Yosuke Higashi (SWATM) 6-4, 6-1