BOX SCORE

BROWNWOOD, TX (03.21.18) - The UT Dallas men's tennis team improved to 2-0 in American Southwest Conference West Division play Wednesday afternoon with a quick 9-0 victory over Howard Payne.

The Comets (5-1) dropped just one doubles game and followed with six straight-set wins in singles action to dispatch HPU in less than three hours.

Top-flighted doubles team of Alberto Hernandez and Ashwin Vaithianathan easily handled HPU's Gabe Benitez/Benjamin Blanchard, 8-0, while No. 2 doubles squad of Giovanni Zamboni and Mario Jelev also picked up an 8-0 win over Jackets Brandon McGibeny/Andrew Stevenson. At No. 3, Ryan Morton and Eric Chen downed Jaze Randolph/Abe Cooper, 8-1.

In singles play, Vaithianathan gave the Comets a 4-0 lead after a 6-0, 6-0, win over Stevenson, before Hernandez locked up the win for UTD with a 6-1, 6-0, win over Blanchard at No. 2. Jelev (No. 1, 6-1, 6-4), Zamboni (No. 3, 6-0, 6-1), Chen (No. 5, 6-1, 6-0) and Morton (No. 6, 6-0, 6-0) added straight-set wins to complete the shutout for the Comets.

The Comets will return to the courts on Friday, April 6, when they host Hardin-Simmons. Match time is 2 p.m. at the UTD Tennis Courts.