Feb. 28, 2005

BALTIMORE, MD - Freshman Joe Vasoontara (Bangkok, Thailand/Loomis Chaffee) picked up wins in first singles and second doubles to lead the Johns Hopkins men's tennis team to a 5-2 win over Methodist on Saturday. The Blue Jays were ranked 16th in the NCAA Atlantic South Region, while Methodist entered the match with a 9th-place ranking.

Vasoontara combined with junior Morgan MacDonald (Evanson, IL/Loyola Academy) to defeat Methodist's Joe Rolth and Jeff Ryman 8-2 in second doubles. Hopkins' first doubles team of senior Justin Belisario (Los Angeles, CA/Loyola) and junior Krishna Patarazu (Potomac, MD/Wootton) lost to Keith Criscoe and Chris Fletcher 8-3, but freshman Matthew Naftilan (Nashville, TN/Montgomery Bell) and junior Michael Kelly-Sell (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer) edged Methodist's David Harry and Mary Ryman 8-5 in third doubles to give the Blue Jays the overall win (one point) in doubles.

Vasoontara, ranked 25th in the region, then upset No. 19 Criscoe (6-4, 2-6, 7-6) in first singles. Methodist won in second and third singles as MacDonald fell to Fletcher (6-3, 6-3) and Naftilan lost to Hardy (6-4, 7-5) but Hopkins swept in fourth, fifth and sixth singles for the team win.

Raffie Roberti routed Noth (6-1, 6-1) in fourth singles and freshman Kevin Ma (Parkville, MO/Park Hill South) defeated Jeff Ryman (6-2, 6-2) in fifth singles before Kelly-Sell finished the day with a three-set win over Mike Layton (6-2, 3-6, 7-6).