Men's tennis opens new era with seven wins

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In its first time competing as a Big 12 member, BYU men’s tennis secured six singles wins and one doubles victory to open the 2023 fall season at the ITA Bedford Cup in the Mountains on Friday.

Photo Credit: Air Force Athletics

No. 103 Wally Thayne and Redd Owen led the team with two singles wins apiece while Zach Fuchs and Jack Barnett recorded one each. Six Cougars competed in doubles, with Redd Owen and Jack Barnett racking up a win after a first round bye.

Thayne won both of his Friday singles matches in the lightning draw (Flight A). The nationally-ranked junior began with a 6-2, 6-4 straight set victory over New Mexico State freshman Tobias Wallin. Thayne faced adversity in the second match, falling 4-6 in the first set before rebounding to win 6-3, 6-4 to close out Caden Moortgat of Boise State.

Barnett also competed in the lightning draw, losing to Denver’s Anish Sriniketh in a hard-fought, 6-4, 7-6 (4) battle in the opening round. The Noosa, Australia native then defeated Boise State sophomore Idriss Haddouch in straight sets 6-1, 6-1.

Owen competed in the raptor draw (Flight B) and took down Air Force’s Nick Vroman after a second-set tiebreaker, winning 6-4, 7-6 (4). Owen then defeated Denver’s Charlie Miller 6-4, 6-4. Fuchs rounded out the singles victories for the Cougars Friday with a win over Montana State's Andras Necz in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

On the doubles side, Owen and Barnett teamed up to knock off Jacob Huppin and Daniel Adrian of Montana State with a resounding 6-1 victory to earn a spot in Saturday’s third round.

Friday marked new head coach Zack Warren's first match as head coach of the Cougars. Another notable from Friday includes freshman TJ Wells’ debut as a Cougar. Wells competed in both singles and in doubles with returning sophomore Brian Chen.

Bedford Cup in the Mountains Results (Friday)

Singles

Round One

Flight A - Lightning

No. 103 Wally Thayne (BYU) def. Tobias Wallin (New Mexico State) 6-2, 6-4

Anish Sriniketh (Denver) def. Jack Barnett (BYU) 6-4, 7-6 (4)

Flight B - Raptor

Redd Owen (BYU) def. Nick Vroman (Air Force) 6-2, 7-6 (3)

Zach Fuchs (BYU) def. Andras Necz (Montana State) 6-4, 6-3

Flight C - Falcon

Ti Hirano (UNLV) def. TJ Wells (BYU) 6-3, 6-4

Flight D - Eagle

Adrian Daniel (Montana State) def. Brian Chen (BYU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Round Two

Flight A - Lightning

No. 103 Wally Thayne (BYU) def. Caden Moortgat (Boise State) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Jack Barnett (BYU) def. Idriss Haddouch (Boise State) 6-1, 6-1

Flight B - Raptor

Redd Owen (BYU) def. Charlie Miller (Denver) 6-4, 6-4

AJ Moore (Air Force) def. Zach Fuchs (BYU) 6-2, 7-5

Flight C - Falcon

Chris Zhang (Montana) def. TJ Wells (BYU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3

Flight D - Eagle

Brian Chen (BYU) bye to next round

Doubles

Round One

Bye - Wally Thayne/Zach Fuchs (BYU)

Bye - Redd Owen/Jack Barnett (BYU)

Caden Moortgat/Jan Lucca Marquardt (Boise State) def. Brian Chen/TJ Wells (BYU) 6-4

Round Two

Fernando Perez/Guillermo Martin (Montana) def. Wally Thayne/Zach Fuchs (BYU) 7-5

Redd Owen/Jack Barnett (BYU) def. Jacob Huppin/Daniel Adrian (Montana State) 6-1

Luca Fe D’ostiani/Itay Feigin (New Mexico State) def. Brian Chen/TJ Wells (BYU) 6-2

The Cougars will be back in action Saturday starting at 9 a.m. MDT when the doubles round resumes.