Baylor Men's Tennis Dominates Doubleheader With Back-to-Back Sweeps Over Lamar
WACO, Texas - Baylor men’s tennis didn’t just bounce back on Saturday - they made a statement. The No.
16 Bears swept Lamar twice in a commanding doubleheader at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center, not dropping a single match across both contests. The 4-0 and 7-0 victories marked Baylor’s first wins of the season and showcased the depth, talent, and focus this team brings to the court.
Let’s break down how the Bears took care of business.
Match One: Fast Start, Fast Finish
In the first match of the day, Baylor wasted no time setting the tone. The doubles team of Alexandru Chirita and Zsombor Velcz came out firing, rolling to a 6-1 win on Court Two. On Court Three, freshman Blake Anderson and transfer Connor Van Schalkwyk continued to impress as a new pairing, clinching the doubles point with a 6-2 win - their second dual-match victory together.
From there, the Bears took over in singles.
Van Schalkwyk was clinical on Court Two, breezing to a 6-0, 6-2 win that set the pace for the rest of the lineup. Chirita followed suit on Court Three, earning his first singles win of the season in dominant fashion, 6-2, 6-0. Luc Koenig sealed the deal on Court Four with a 6-2, 6-3 performance, giving Baylor the 4-0 sweep and their first win of the year.
Match Two: Depth on Display
The second match of the day gave Baylor a chance to showcase its roster depth - and they delivered.
In doubles, Van Schalkwyk paired up with Drew Hedgecoe for the first time and the duo clicked immediately, grabbing a 6-3 win on Court Two. On Court Three, Devin Badenhorst and Arman Zamani mirrored that result with a 6-3 win of their own, locking up the doubles point once again.
Then the singles lineup went to work.
Freshman Blake Anderson, making his collegiate dual-match debut, looked like a seasoned vet. He steamrolled his opponent 6-0, 6-1 on Court Six - a performance that not only put points on the board but also gave Baylor fans a glimpse of what’s to come.
Van Schalkwyk continued his dominant day with another lopsided win on Court Two, this time 6-0, 6-1. That’s two matches, two wins, and just three games lost total. The guy was locked in.
Badenhorst clinched the match on Court One with a 6-4, 6-1 win, but the Bears didn’t stop there.
Chirita showed some grit in his second singles match of the day. After dropping the first set 2-6, he flipped the script and stormed back to win the next two sets 6-1, 6-2. That kind of resilience is exactly what coaches love to see early in the season.
Hedgecoe, also making his dual-match debut, added a 6-2, 6-4 win on Court Five, while Louis Bowden capped the day with a dramatic comeback on Court Four. After narrowly losing the first set in a tiebreak, Bowden battled back to take the second set 6-4 and then dominated the 10-point tiebreaker to close out the sweep.
Coach Woodson’s Take
Head coach Michael Woodson was pleased with how his team responded, especially after a tough season-opening loss.
“It was good to get back home and compete,” Woodson said. “It was fun to see all the guys get an opportunity to play.
Lamar brought a strong level, and I thought we responded well. In the first match, there were a few communication issues in doubles, but in singles, we were focused and competitive.”
Woodson also pointed ahead to the team’s next challenge - a home matchup against Wisconsin.
“They’re a really good team,” he said. “They just had a strong road win at SMU, and we have a ton of respect for what they’re doing. We’ll need to bring our best.”
What’s Next
The Bears will look to keep the momentum rolling as they host Wisconsin on Monday, Jan. 19 at noon at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. With confidence building and young talent stepping up, Baylor is starting to look like a team ready to make noise as the season unfolds.
Match One Results:
Doubles
- Chirita/Velcz (BU) def.
Anthin/Monge (LAM) - 6-1
- Anderson/Van Schalkwyk (BU) def.
Dagan/Shukuda (LAM) - 6-2
- Badenhorst/Koenig (BU) vs.
Nickel/Lindstedt (LAM) - 5-4, unfinished
Singles
- Van Schalkwyk (BU) def.
Lindstedt (LAM) - 6-0, 6-2
- Chirita (BU) def.
Shukuda (LAM) - 6-2, 6-0
- Koenig (BU) def.
Hamacher (LAM) - 6-2, 6-3
- Velcz (BU) vs.
Nickel (LAM) - 6-2, 5-2, unfinished
- Bowden (BU) vs.
Drapeau (LAM) - 6-2, 4-0, unfinished
- Zamani (BU) vs.
Chappuis (LAM) - 3-6, 0-2, unfinished
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4
Match Two Results:
Doubles
- Van Schalkwyk/Hedgecoe (BU) def.
Dagan/Drapeau (LAM) - 6-3
- Badenhorst/Zamani (BU) def.
Bergh/Monge (LAM) - 6-3
- Chirita/Velcz (BU) vs.
Nickel/Lindstedt (LAM) - 5-4, unfinished
Singles
- Anderson (BU) def.
Dagan (LAM) - 6-0, 6-1
- Van Schalkwyk (BU) def.
Shukuda (LAM) - 6-0, 6-1
- Badenhorst (BU) def.
Nickel (LAM) - 6-4, 6-1
- Chirita (BU) def.
Lindstedt (LAM) - 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
- Hedgecoe (BU) def.
Drapeau (LAM) - 6-2, 6-4
- Bowden (BU) def.
Hamacher (LAM) - 6-7 (6), 6-4, 1-0 (10-4)
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 1, 3, 5, 4
Baylor’s dominance on Saturday didn’t just show up on the scoreboard - it showed in the energy, the execution, and the confidence building within this squad. With a mix of veteran leadership and emerging young talent, the Bears are starting to look like a team ready to turn heads this season.