LATHAM, NY – A nationally ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute squad earned a shutout victory over the University of Rochester men's tennis team on Saturday evening at the Tri-City Fitness Tennis Center.
 
RPI (2-0) entered the day ranked #22 in the latest Division III coaches poll. Rochester's loss is their second in as many days in eastern New York, as the Yellowjackets fall to 1-2 on the young season.
 
In doubles, RPI started strong with an 8-4 win at number three from Max Stefanov and Bryce Burham, defeating Kenneth Lee and Kei Ogawa. Shortly after, Abraham Yohannes and Igor Visnevskij earned the same score in the number two match against Krish Vennam and Kavin Shukla.
 
The top spot in doubles featured Aiden Drover-Mattinen and Andy Zhu against Kai Yuminaga and Rahul Ravi, with the RPI pair slipping past the Yellowjackets by an 8-6 score to secure the 3-0 lead following doubles.
 
In singles, five of the six matches went in favor of the Engineers in straight sets. Ravi was the lone Yellowjacket to take a point, earning a 6-4 win in set two against Visnevskij at the #4 position. Visnevskij won the opener 6-2 and emerged with a 10-8 win in the tiebreaker third set to help finish off the Engineer victory.
 
After Burham topped Surya Rajamani 6-1, 6-1 to open singles play, Yohannes clinched the match for the Engineers with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Shukla at number three.
 
Nationally ranked Drover-Mattinen won in straight sets, defeating Yuminaga 6-2, 6-1 at the top spot in the order and that victory was followed by Zhu topping Vennam 6-3, 6-3 at number two.
 
The match at number five proved to be the tightest contest of the night, despite RPI winning in straight sets. Jonathan McMullen and Ogawa battled, with the Engineers player winning 7-5, 7-6 (2) to complete the shutout for the home team.
 
UR is now off for the remainder of the month and will next take to the court on its spring break trip in Florida against Division I Creighton University on March 6.