Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus Utah Invitational on October 3, 2025
Men's Tennis
vs Utah Invitational
Thursday, January 16
Salt Lake City, UT
12:00 PM
University of Utah
7
vs
0
Idaho
Photo by: Steve Kinslow
Men's Tennis Downs Idaho and Weber State to Open 2020 Season
1/16/2020 8:34 PM | Men's Tennis
Utes pick up two wins to get the 2020 season underway.
SALT LAKE CITY – In the first two matches of the season, the University of Utah men's tennis team started off the year by sweeping Idaho 7-0 on Thursday morning, followed by a 5-2 victory against Weber State at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.Â
Â
"I'm happy to get two wins to begin the season," said head coach Roeland Brateanu. "We are glad to finally be back after eight months and after the NCAA's. There are a lot of new faces and it is kind of a new phase in our program. We are excited to be back and see what this group is going to bring us. I'm proud of the way that the guys fought and we are going to get better as the season progresses."
Â
Utah 7, Idaho 0
In doubles play to start the season against Idaho, the senior duo of Slava Shainyan and Azat Hankuliyev earned the first win of the day on court three, topping Bruno Casino and Vivek Ramesh with a score of 6-2. After Utah fell on court one, the doubles point came down to Utah's freshmen duo of Franco Capalbo and Wally Thayne. After trailing 3-4, freshmen Capalbo and Thayne rallied back against Gui Scarpelli and Althaf Dhaifullah at the No. 2 spot and won the next two sets to lead 5-4. Coming down to the wire, Capalbo and Thayne completed a 7-6 comeback victory to put Utah up 1-0 in the match.
Â
Utah then finished off the match strong in singles against the Vandals with all six Utes recording victories to complete the 7-0 sweep. Highlights in singles included first time wins as Utes from freshmen Franco Capalbo and Wally Thayne. Capalbo rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Francisco Bascon-Perez in the No. 1 position, whileThayne defeated Bruno Casino on court five, 6-1, 6-3. Benkaim (#2), Mathias Gavelin (#3), and Shainyan (#4) also picked up straight-set victories in singles, while Hankuliyev (#6) split sets, but would walk away with a 10-3 tiebreak win.
Utah 5, Weber State 2Â
In the second match of the day, this time against Weber State, Shainyan and Hankuliyev picked up where they left off earlier in doubles action, recording their second doubles victory of the day at the No. 3 position. Shainyan and Hankuliyev defeated Sebastian Buxman and Killian Sinclair with a score of 6-1. Cory and Benkaim were then able to beat out Brendan Barr and Arthur Serafim in a competitive match on the No. 1 court, notching a 6-4 victory to seal the doubles point for the Utes.
Â
With the 1-0 lead going into singles against the Wildcats, Cory completed a quick victory at the No. 6 spot, topping Killian Sinclair with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Weber State picked up a win on court one to trail Utah 2-1, but Gavelin followed with a win of his own at the No. 4 position, defeating Brendan Barr in three sets, with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to put the Utes up 3-1.
With the remaining matches all in third sets or heading to a third set, Shainyan put away Weber State on the No. 3 court and sealed the win for Utah as he knocked off Bo-Han Li in three sets with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Thayne then added the final victory of the day for Utah at the No. 5 spot, coming away with the 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 win in a competitive match.
Â
The Utah men's tennis team will be back in action next week when they head to Columbus, Ohio. The Utes are set to participate in the ITA Kickoff with the first match of the tournament weekend coming against Tulsa on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 11 a.m. MT. Utah will then wrap up the weekend with a match on Sunday, Jan. 26 against either Ohio State or Purdue.
Â
Utah 7, Idaho 0
Doubles (3,1,2)
Santibanez/Bascon-Perez (UI) def. Cory/Benkaim (UU), 6-3
Capalbo/Thayne (UU) def. Scarpelli/Dhaifullah (UI), 7-6Â
Shainyan/Hankuliyev (UU) def. Casino/Ramesh (UI), 6-2
Â
Singles (5,4,2,1,6,3)
Franco Capalbo (UU) def. Francisco Bascon-Perez (UI), 6-2, 6-2
Russell Benkaim (UU) def. Esteban Santibanez (UI), 6-2, 6-3
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. Althaf Dhaifullah (UI), 6-4, 7-6
Slava Shainyan (UU) def. Gui Scarpelli (UI), 6-2, 6-3
Wally Thayne (UU) def. Bruno Casino (UI), 6-1, 6-3
Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Vivek Ramesh (UI), 6-1, 4-6, 10-3
Â
Utah 5, Weber State 2
Doubles (3,1)
Cory/Benkaim (UU) def. Serafim/Barr (WSU), 6-4
Capalbo/Thayne (UU) vs. Van Wyk/Li (WSU), 4-2, unf.
Shainyan/Hankuliyev (UU) def. Buxman/Sinclair (WSU), 6-1
Â
Singles (6,1,4,3,2,5)
Kris Van Wyk (WSU) def. Russell Benkaim (UU), 6-2, 6-3
Arthur Serafim (WSU) def. Franco Capalbo (UU), 6-7, 6-2, 10-7
Slava Shainyan (UU) def.  Bo-Han Li (WSU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. Brendan Barr (WSU), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
Wally Thayne (UU) def. Sebastian Buxman (WSU), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
Randy Cory (UU) def. Killian Sinclair (WSU), 6-4, 6-4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
"I'm happy to get two wins to begin the season," said head coach Roeland Brateanu. "We are glad to finally be back after eight months and after the NCAA's. There are a lot of new faces and it is kind of a new phase in our program. We are excited to be back and see what this group is going to bring us. I'm proud of the way that the guys fought and we are going to get better as the season progresses."
Â
Utah 7, Idaho 0
In doubles play to start the season against Idaho, the senior duo of Slava Shainyan and Azat Hankuliyev earned the first win of the day on court three, topping Bruno Casino and Vivek Ramesh with a score of 6-2. After Utah fell on court one, the doubles point came down to Utah's freshmen duo of Franco Capalbo and Wally Thayne. After trailing 3-4, freshmen Capalbo and Thayne rallied back against Gui Scarpelli and Althaf Dhaifullah at the No. 2 spot and won the next two sets to lead 5-4. Coming down to the wire, Capalbo and Thayne completed a 7-6 comeback victory to put Utah up 1-0 in the match.
Â
Utah then finished off the match strong in singles against the Vandals with all six Utes recording victories to complete the 7-0 sweep. Highlights in singles included first time wins as Utes from freshmen Franco Capalbo and Wally Thayne. Capalbo rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Francisco Bascon-Perez in the No. 1 position, whileThayne defeated Bruno Casino on court five, 6-1, 6-3. Benkaim (#2), Mathias Gavelin (#3), and Shainyan (#4) also picked up straight-set victories in singles, while Hankuliyev (#6) split sets, but would walk away with a 10-3 tiebreak win.
Utah 5, Weber State 2Â
In the second match of the day, this time against Weber State, Shainyan and Hankuliyev picked up where they left off earlier in doubles action, recording their second doubles victory of the day at the No. 3 position. Shainyan and Hankuliyev defeated Sebastian Buxman and Killian Sinclair with a score of 6-1. Cory and Benkaim were then able to beat out Brendan Barr and Arthur Serafim in a competitive match on the No. 1 court, notching a 6-4 victory to seal the doubles point for the Utes.
Â
With the 1-0 lead going into singles against the Wildcats, Cory completed a quick victory at the No. 6 spot, topping Killian Sinclair with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Weber State picked up a win on court one to trail Utah 2-1, but Gavelin followed with a win of his own at the No. 4 position, defeating Brendan Barr in three sets, with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to put the Utes up 3-1.
With the remaining matches all in third sets or heading to a third set, Shainyan put away Weber State on the No. 3 court and sealed the win for Utah as he knocked off Bo-Han Li in three sets with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Thayne then added the final victory of the day for Utah at the No. 5 spot, coming away with the 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 win in a competitive match.
Â
The Utah men's tennis team will be back in action next week when they head to Columbus, Ohio. The Utes are set to participate in the ITA Kickoff with the first match of the tournament weekend coming against Tulsa on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 11 a.m. MT. Utah will then wrap up the weekend with a match on Sunday, Jan. 26 against either Ohio State or Purdue.
Â
Utah 7, Idaho 0
Doubles (3,1,2)
Santibanez/Bascon-Perez (UI) def. Cory/Benkaim (UU), 6-3
Capalbo/Thayne (UU) def. Scarpelli/Dhaifullah (UI), 7-6Â
Shainyan/Hankuliyev (UU) def. Casino/Ramesh (UI), 6-2
Â
Singles (5,4,2,1,6,3)
Franco Capalbo (UU) def. Francisco Bascon-Perez (UI), 6-2, 6-2
Russell Benkaim (UU) def. Esteban Santibanez (UI), 6-2, 6-3
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. Althaf Dhaifullah (UI), 6-4, 7-6
Slava Shainyan (UU) def. Gui Scarpelli (UI), 6-2, 6-3
Wally Thayne (UU) def. Bruno Casino (UI), 6-1, 6-3
Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Vivek Ramesh (UI), 6-1, 4-6, 10-3
Â
Utah 5, Weber State 2
Doubles (3,1)
Cory/Benkaim (UU) def. Serafim/Barr (WSU), 6-4
Capalbo/Thayne (UU) vs. Van Wyk/Li (WSU), 4-2, unf.
Shainyan/Hankuliyev (UU) def. Buxman/Sinclair (WSU), 6-1
Â
Singles (6,1,4,3,2,5)
Kris Van Wyk (WSU) def. Russell Benkaim (UU), 6-2, 6-3
Arthur Serafim (WSU) def. Franco Capalbo (UU), 6-7, 6-2, 10-7
Slava Shainyan (UU) def.  Bo-Han Li (WSU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. Brendan Barr (WSU), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
Wally Thayne (UU) def. Sebastian Buxman (WSU), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
Randy Cory (UU) def. Killian Sinclair (WSU), 6-4, 6-4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Â
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Utah Men's Tennis 2025-26 Pronunciations
Wednesday, September 10
Role models. Trailblazers. Legends. Celebrating our #AAPI student-athletes this month and always.
Monday, May 20
2019 Men's Tennis NCAA Tournament Press Conference
Tuesday, May 14
Utah Takes on #1 USC Friday, April 6
Wednesday, June 01