Men’s Tennis Takes 6-1 Verdict at Temple

Sunday, March 17

Philadelphia, Pa.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

Temple

3/17/2024 5:24:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Amar Tahirovic teamed with Brendan McDonald for a win at No. 1 doubles and then set the tone in singles with a first-set win at love in the top flight to help the Bucknell men's tennis team to a 6-1 win at Temple on Sunday afternoon at Hecht Tennis Center.

Tahirovic went on to win 6-0, 7-5 against Dante Russo at first singles, and Adam Stavrakas, Oscar Bain Moreno de Vega, Liam Kilmer, and Tim Zelikovsky followed with victories to help the Bison improve to 8-4. The strong performance came after a long journey back east after playing three matches in California earlier in the week.

The Owls fell to 5-10 against a tough schedule. They own a win this spring against Brown of the Ivy League and also suffered a narrow 4-3 loss to Penn State.

Bucknell won the doubles point, with Tahirovic and McDonald winning 6-2 and No. 1, and Bain and Stavrakas claiming a 6-4 verdict at No. 2.

Bain was first off the court in singles after defeating Erden Er 6-3, 6-2. Temple got on the board with Adam Kresina's win at No. 4 singles, but Tahirovic and Kilmer finished off straight-set wins soon after to clinch the match for the Bison. Zelikovsky won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 6, and Stavrakas claimed the only three-setter of the afternoon at No. 2.

Now 20-2 in singles this season, Zelikovsky tied Mark Malloy for the No. 8 spot on Bucknell's all-time wins list with 62. The senior now has two career 20-win seasons after claiming 22 in 2021-22.

Bucknell defeated Temple for the first time since 1982. The Owls had won all four meetings since then. The all-time series is now even at 8-8, with Bucknell's most memorable win coming in the 1973 Middle Atlantic Conference championship.

The Bison return to action next weekend with two dual matches. They will host Duquesne on Saturday before returning to Philadelphia on Sunday at face Saint Joseph's.