BOISE, Idaho – Portland men's tennis picked up a title in the 2025-26 season-opening tournament of the 2025-26 season this weekend hosted by Boise State University. Lucas Kimelman and Tannor Binder combined to win the Orange Draw title at the Dar Walters Classic.
The duo won four mini dual matches which included a doubles match and two singles matches against another two-person team. Kimelman and Binder won all four of their matches against tandems from Idaho State, Montana and Idaho. Kimelman won all four of his singles matches, while Binder won three. They combined to go 3-1 in doubles en route to the title.
Overall, Portland's four duos went a combined 8-6 in mini dual matches against a tournament field consisting of host Boise State, BYU, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Utah State and Weber State.
Pilot players finished 14-15 in all individual singles matches and 10-4 overall in doubles. The event marked the collegiate debut for Pilot freshmen Gian Manhas and Eli Noel.
"Overall we had a great weekend in Boise," Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. "Tannor and Lucas won their flight in impressive fashion. Both stepped up big at some important times. Cade Fernando also had a great weekend. Our freshmen took a few lumps, but I think they learned a little bit more about what it's going to take to compete at this level consistently. We have lots to build on going into the ITA regional in a few weeks."
Portland returns to action Oct. 16-21 at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships hosted by the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.
Dar Walters Classic
Sept. 12-14
Boise, Idaho (Appleton Tennis Center | Julia Davis Park | Fort Boise)
Blue Draw
Round of 16
Tom Garcia/Stefan Skobelev (UP) def. Valentino de Pellegrin/Luka Vujacic (ISU) 2-1
Doubles: Garcia/Skobelev (UP) def. de Pellegrin/Vujacic (ISU) 6-4
Singles 1: de Pellegrin (ISU) def. Garcia (UP) 7-6(7), 6-2
Singles 2: Skobelev (UP) def. Vujacic (ISU) 6-3, 6-4
16 Nikola Keremedchiev/Cade Fernando (POR) def. Andre Stewart/Camille Chantron (MSU) 3-0
Doubles: Keremedchiev/Fernando (UP) def. Stewart/Chantron (MSU) 6-3
Singles 1: Keremedchiev (UP) def. Stewart (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
Singles 2: Fernando (UP) def. Chantron (MSU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6)
Quarterfinals
Caden Hasler/TJ Wells (BYU) def. Tom Garcia/Stefan Skobelev (UP) 2-1
Doubles: Wells/Hasler (BYU) def. Garcia/Skobelev (UP) 7-6 (2)
Singles 1: Garcia (UP) def. Wells (BYU) 6-0, 7-6 (1)
Singles 2: Hasler (BYU) def. Skobelev (UP) 6-2, 6-3
Baltazar Wiger Nordas/Duncan McCall (UM) def. Nikola Keremedchiev/Cade Fernando (UP) 2-1
Doubles: Keremedchiev/Fernando (UP) def. Wiger Nordas/McCall (UM) 6-4
Singles 1: Wiger Nordas (UM) def. Keremedchiev (UP) 7-6 (3), 6-3
Singles 2: McCall (UM) def. Fernando (UP) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Orange Draw
Round of 16
Lucas Kimelman/Tannor Binder (UP) def. Rafael Maya/Hayden Ciguenza (ISU) 2-1
Doubles: Kimelman/Binder (UP) def. Maya/Ciguenza (ISU) 7-5
Singles 1: Kimelman (UP) def. Maya (ISU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Singles 2: Ciguenza (ISU) vs. Binder (UP) 6-2, 6-4
Oumar Diallo/Ethan Masselis (MSU) def. Eli Noel/Gian Manhas (UP) 2-1
Doubles: Noel/Manhas (UP) def. Diallo/Masselis (MSU) 6-3
Singles 1: Diallo (MSU) def. Noel (UP) 6-0, 6-1
Singles 2: Masselis (MSU) def. Manhas (UP) 6-1, 6-2
Quarterfinals
Lucas Kimelman/Tannor Binder (UP) def. Joseph Townes/Johnny Wilkinson (UM) 3-0
Doubles: Kimelman/Binder (UP) def. Townes/Wilkinson (UM) 6-2
Singles 1: Kimelman (UP) def. Townes (UM) 6-4, 6-3
Singles 2: Binder (UP) def. Wilkinson (UM) 6-4, 6-2
Semifinals
Lucas Kimelman/Tannor Bindor (UP) def. Sep de Visser (ISU)/Xavier Martin Roca (UI)* 2-1
Doubles: de Visser (ISU)/Roca (UI) def. Kimelman/Binder (UP) 7-6 (4)
Singles 1: Kimelman (UP) def. Visser (ISU) 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-3
Singles 2: Binder (UP) def. Roca (UI) 6-2, 6-3
Finals
Lucas Kimelman/Tannor Binder (UP) def. Paul Janson/Noe de Col (UI) 3-0
Doubles: Kimelman/Binder (UP) def. Janson/de Col (UI) 6-3
Singles 1: Kimelman (UP) vs. Janson (UI) 7-6 (4), 6-1
Singles 2: Binder (UP) vs. de Col (UI) 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Consolation
Brody Nejedly-Krall/Eemil Pasanen (USU) def. Eli Noel/Gian Manhas (UP) 2-1
Doubles: Nejedly-Krall/Pasanen (USU) def. Noel/Manhas (UP) 7-6 (3)
Singles 1: Nejedly-Krall (USU) def. Noel (UP) 6-4, 6-3
Singles 2: Manhas (UP) def. Pasanen (USU) 2-6, 6-4, 10-8
Other Matches
Tom Garcia/Stefan Skobelev (UP) def. Oumar Diallo/Ethan Masselis (MSU) 2-1
Doubles: Garcia/Skobelev (UP) def. Diallo/Masselis (MSU) 7-5
Singles 1: Garcia (UP) def. Diallo (MSU) 6-1, 3-6, 10-7
Singles 2: Masselis (MSU) def. Skobelev (UP) 7-6 (5), 6-0
Nikola Keremedchiev/Cade Fernando (UP) def. Mikolaj Lis/Sander Paradis (UI) 3-0
Doubles: Keremedchiev/Fernando (UP) def. Lis/Paradis (UI) 6-1
Singles 1: Keremedchiev (UP) def. Lis (UI) 6-1, 6-0
Singles 2: Fernando (UP) def Paradis (UI) 4-6, 6-3, 10-3
Dragos Bucurescu/Jake Watkins (UM) def. Eli Noel/Gian Manhas (UP) 2-1
Doubles: Noel/Manhas (UP) def. Bucurescu/Watkins (UM) 7-6 (6)
Singles 1: Bucurescu (UM) def. Noel (UP) 6-4, 6-2
Singles 2: Watkins (UM) def. Manhas (UP) 7-5, 6-2
Eddie Biss/David Ismanescu (MSU) vs. Eli Noel/Gian Manhas (UP) 3-0
Doubles: Biss/Ismanescu (MSU) def. Noel/Manhas (UP) 6-4
Singles 1: Biss (MSU) def. Noel (UP) 3-6, 6-0, 10-4
Singles 2: Ismanescu (MSU) def. Manhas (UP) 4-6, 6-0, 10-2
Pickup Singles Match
Sander Paradis (UI) def. Garcia (UP) 7-5, 7-6 (6)
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