PORTLAND, Ore. --- The University of Portland men’s tennis team started its season off on the right foot, downing West Coast Conference foe Gonzaga 6-1 at the Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center. The Pilots improve to 1-0 on the year while the Bulldogs fall to 0-2.

The Pilots controlled the match with a strong performance from the top four positions, with senior Alex Strom (pictured) defeating Bryce Cooper 6-0, 6-1 at the number one, freshman Filip Zivkovic topping Brett Womack 6-3, 6-1, senior Colby Jager besting Roman Dojcak 6-1, 6-2 and sophomore Joel Kincaid cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Cooper Fratt. At the fifth position, junior Charlie Yemm earned a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3 (10-3) victory over Marco Antonio Pineda. The Pilots lone loss in singles play came at the sixth position, where freshman Evan Schleining dropped a narrow 3-6, 6-3 (10-7) match to Zach Radetzky.

The Bulldogs proved to be more formidable opponents in doubles play than singles, but the Pilots still prevailed to earn the doubles point with victories by Zivkovic and Jager over Radetzky and Dojcek (8-5) and Kincaid and Schleining over Cooper and Frett (8-4). In other doubles action, the team of Strom and Scott Kennel fell to Pineda and Charles Adams in a tight 8-7 match.

The Pilots continue action at home this weekend tomorrow, Sunday Jan. 28, squaring off against Idaho at 10:00 a.m.