MONROE — The Cheesemakers moved to 5-1 on the season in duals with a 5-2 victory over Portage April 19.
“We knew coming in to this match that Portage had a strong singles lineup and it was a really competitive set of singles matches out there today,” said Matt Bordner, Monroe’s coach.
Portage’s Owen Benck defeated Monroe freshman Matthew Setterstrom 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 1 singles match. At No. 2 singles, Monroe sophomore Ryan Mathiason beat Emmett Benck in a three-set marathon, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
“Matthew played a really nice match against a strong opponent in Owen Benck who is now 6-0 at No. 1 singles. This was a big match for Matthew to play close in, and he did a great job of picking up six games which should help with his seeding down the line. I think Owen will be in the top-2 at our subsectional, and so Matthew playing close with him was huge. I think if Matthew cleans up some double faults he is right there in terms of having a chance to flip that match in his favor,” Bordner said. “Ryan Mathiason played a great match against a strong senior in Emmett Benck. Ryan plays really steady tennis and it paid off. His mental game was perfect today and I think it probably made the difference down the stretch when that match started to get into the crucial points.”
Portage’s only other win came at No. 3 singles, where Monroe’s Gavin Eckerman fell 6-3, 7-5 to Kyle Kinzler. Monroe’s Max Petitjean won at No. 4 singles 6-3, 6-1.
“Gavin played a tough match at 3-singles and had a chance down the stretch in the second set to work back into the match. I think Gavin would probably love to see his opponent again later in the season,” Bordner said. “Max finished out our singles lineup with a solid win at 4-singles. Max fits in really nicely at 4-singles and I think he will find a lot of success in that role for our team. He has a big first serve and loves putting pressure on at the net.”
At No. 1 doubles, Aaron Roidt and Chris Giasson blanked Portage 6-0, 6-0, as did Monroe’s No. 2 tandem of Ethan Towne and Wes Saunders. At No. 3 singles, Monroe’s Dante Giordano and Tim Olson were victorious 6-0, 6-1.
“Our doubles teams took care of business again. Our doubles teams have been really solid so far this season. I loved the focus I saw and the ability to close out matches and not let our opponents work back into it. We’re also settling in with some nice chemistry and I’m looking forward to seeing how our doubles teams respond as we get into the thick of our conference matches,” Bordner said.
