NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Sophomore
Rainer Christiansen picked up a pair of wins against Division I competition on Friday afternoon as the CNU men's tennis program opened the 2025-26 campaign at home. The Captains took on opponents from Virginia Wesleyan University and Hampton University on the opening day of the 2025 CNU Duals.
Christiansen paired up with newcomer
Nathan Russell for a 6-3 win in doubles against Hampton University's Jude Killikelly and Benjamin Mwanza. He would then go on to add a singles win against his Hampton opponent, Kevin Jorquera, 6-2, 6-2.
The second-year star highlighted the opening day action but CNU split the six doubles matches on the day.
Alex Seretis and
Sam Halvorsen picked up a 6-4 win against a pair from Virginia Wesleyan and
Gabe Smith paired up with
Nesh Kumaresan for a 7-6 (2) win against Hampton's Jorquera and Konishi.
In singles, Halvorsen joined Christiansen with a two-win day when he toppled a newcomer for the Marlins, Gitomirski, by a straight set 6-1, 6-4 final. Rounding out the wins for CNU on day one was Russell, who capped a 2-0 performance with a win in singles against Tudor Vlad from Virginia Wesleyan, 6-3, 7-5.
The Captains will return to the Eyre Courts on Saturday to continue play in the CNU Duals.
Complete Results
Doubles:
Platts/Muller (VWU) def. Wallace/Ceric (CNU); 6-4
Seretis/Halvorsen (CNU) def. Vlad/ter Schiphorst (VWU); 6-4
Choudhary/Oster (VWU) def. Onoff/Lee (CNU); 6-3
Badza/Federov (HU) def. Foster/Truong (CNU); 6-2
Smith/Kumaresan (CNU) def. Jorquera/Konishi (HU); 7-6 (7-2)
Christiansen/Russell (CNU) def. Killikelly/Mwanza (HU); 6-3
Singles:
Russell (CNU) def. Vlad (VWU); 6-3, 7-5
Platts (VWU) def. Wallace (CNU); 6-1, 6-3
Choudhary (VWU) def. Ceric (CNU); 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Muller (VWU) def. Seretis (CNU); 7-5, 6-3
Halvorsen (CNU) def. Gitomirski (VWU); 6-1, 6-4
Oster (VWU) def. Onoff (CNU); 6-1, 6-2
Federov (HU) def. Truong (CNU); 7-5, 6-3
Badza (HU) def. Kumaresan (CNU); 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-7)
Christiansen (CNU) def. Joraquera (HU); 6-2, 6-2
Konishi (HU) def. Smith (CNU); 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
Arora (HU) def. Lee (CNU); 6-2, 6-2
