DENVER, Colo. – The Gonzaga men's tennis team opened competition at the Denver Cup on Friday with a hidden dual matchup against Air Force, earning several strong performances in both singles and doubles play.

In doubles, the Bulldogs secured the early advantage by winning two of three matches. Giovanni Branchetti and Jay Fairclough edged Air Force's Brown and Leaird 7-6(5), while Tom Dunlop and Diego Herrera notched a 6-3 victory over Moore and Tingleaf. James Hutchinson and Oscar Rashed fell 6-3 to Fritzinger and Staton in the final doubles match.

Gonzaga carried its momentum into singles play with four wins. Fairclough picked up a convincing 7-6(3), 6-2 win over Jack Brown, and Dunlop followed with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against AJ Moore. Rashed battled through three sets to defeat Alec Fritzinger 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, while Branchetti pushed his match to a close first set before falling 7-6(4), 6-3 to Phillip Deaton.

Herrera and Hutchinson each dropped their matches to Air Force opponents, while Caden Lee and Tyler Leaird competed against Denver players in additional singles contests. Leaird fell 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3 to Tom Noltorp, and Lee came up short 6-3, 6-4 against Aaron Beduhn.

The Bulldogs continue play at the Denver Cup throughout the weekend as they face off against additional regional opponents in the hidden dual format.