LANCASTER, Pa. — The 23rd-ranked Haverford College men's tennis team (9-2, 2-0 CC) earned a hard-fought 4–3 win over Centennial Conference rival No. 39 Franklin & Marshall (5-8, 1-2 CC) on Saturday afternoon at the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of F&M. The Fords are just one win away from matching last season's win total after Saturday's triumph.

The Fords got off to a strong start in doubles, with the pairing of James McKenzie and Justin Minerva securing a 6–4 win on court one over Zac Ashtiani and Gonzalo Gentou. F&M answered on court two, as Luke Brodsky and Soren Rudin-Aulenbach edged Marko Arboleda and Owen Kilmer in a 7–6 battle. With the doubles point on the line, Haverford's rookie duo of Teo Bortan and Zach Miano came through with a tight 7–6 victory over Tucker Chesman and Jack Gelman on court three, giving the Fords a 1–0 lead heading into singles.

The Diplomats responded quickly in singles play, leveling the match on court one as Brodsky defeated Arboleda 6–1, 6–4. Haverford regained the lead on court three, where Kilmer posted a 6–3, 6–3 win over Samuel Donnelly.

Up 2–1, the Fords extended their lead to 3–1 thanks to a composed 6–3, 6–4 victory over Rudin-Aulenbach for Minerva. The match-clinching point came on court four, where Niki Lavu delivered a gritty 7–6, 7–5 win over Karl Camdin.

Franklin & Marshall closed the match with wins on courts six and two. Gelman defeated Chait Krishna 7–6, 6–1 on court six, and Ashtiani edged McKenzie in a pair of tiebreaks, 7–6 (7–4 tiebreaker), 7–6. However, the late surge wasn't enough for the Diplomats, as the Fords held on for the 4–3 win.

Men's tennis will be back in action on Saturday, April 12, as the Fords will host the Dickinson Red Devils at 11 a.m. The match will serve as the annual Play with Pride Match in collaboration with the Haverford College Play with Pride club.