NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After moving the match indoors due to gusting winds up to 40 mph, the 39th-ranked Christopher Newport men's tennis team breezed past Averett University (3-5) on Saturday night with a 9-0 shutout. The Captains improved to 7-3 with the win while picking up the team's sixth home win in eight matches this Spring. 

All six Captains finished the day with a 2-0 performance against the Cougars, highlighted by a triumphant return to the singles lineup for sophomore Nesh Kumaresan. Playing in his first singles match since February 10, the second-year player defeated Kazuki Fukushima (7-5, 7-6 (5)) in the No. 4 singles match while also earning an 8-4 win on the top line of doubles with partner Vincent Truong. Playing in their tenth dual of the season together at No. 1 doubles, Truong and Kumaresan improved to 6-4. 

The No. 2 tandem also improved to 6-4 on the season after Ashton Legum and Edvard Porsmyr Hansen earned an 8-3 win over Fukushima and Jaeden Mukkaladyil. Rounding out a doubles sweep was the Captains' pairing of Ryan Monroe and Alex Seretis against Sam Egui and Martin Guyot (8-3) at No. 3. 

In singles play, Truong and Porsmyr Hansen picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Truong took on Mukkaladyil on the top line and was edged out, 7-5, in the first set. The sophomore blitzed by his Averett counterpart in the second, 6-1, and then captured a 6-3 win in the third set. Porsmyr Hansen won in straight sets against Egui for a 6-0, 6-2 win.  

Like Truong, Monroe was locked in a competitive match at No. 3 against Prabjeet Chandhok but the home team prevailed again. He would drop the first set in a tiebreaker 6-7 (6) before rallying for a 6-0, 6-4 finish to capture the win.  

Wrapping up the match, Legum defeated Gero Siebert at No. 5 (6-2, 6-3) and Seretis took down Guyot at No. 6 (6-2, 6-1). 

Christopher Newpor is off for a week before taking on Shenandoah University at home next Saturday, March 30 at 1:00 p.m.