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Ohio State junior John McNally, a first-team All-Big Ten for the past two seasons, waits to return a serve. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics

Two sweeps, and Ohio State men’s tennis continued its hot start Sunday.

Hosting a doubleheader, No. 6 Ohio State (4-0) notched 7-0 victories against Xavier (0-2) and Wright State (0-1). 

Even after two more dominant wins to start the season for Ohio State, head coach Ty Tucker said areas for Buckeye improvement are evident.

“Doubles team I would say are our biggest struggles,” Tucker said. “We still need to figure out who works best with who. Even with [Robert] Cash and [John] McNally, there is still room for growth.”

But Tucker has never lost a match to Xavier during his tenure at Ohio State, and that didn’t change Sunday.

The Buckeyes claimed both doubles matches as only two were played to the finish. No. 28 redshirt senior Kyle Seelig and redshirt freshman Andrew Lutschaunig rolled to a 6-0 match victory on court two, while freshmen Cannon Kingsley and Justin Boulais followed with a 6-1 win on court three. 

The No. 2 doubles team of No. 24 junior John McNally and freshman Robert Cash had an unfinished game that stopped at 4-3 with Ohio State leading. 

“When it comes to being a freshman at Ohio State, I feel some kind of pressure to do well, but ultimately I’m here to have fun,” Cash said. “And if that comes with a reward then I’m happy with it.”

In singles, it was more of the same as the Buckeyes largely dominated all six matches. McNally and No. 40 sophomore James Trotter clinched wins for the Buckeyes –– each ending 6-2, 6-1.

“I don’t necessarily feel a sense of pressure from other people, but I do put a lot of pressure on myself,” McNally said. “I would have my own pressure even if I wasn’t ranked. I push myself to be the best and I expect the best from myself.”

Seelig captured one of his two 6-0 victories against the Musketeers.

Against Wright State, the Buckeyes took care of business on all three courts in doubles play. Trotter and Boulais, Seelig and Kingsley and Cash and McNally each captured 6-0 wins.

In singles, the Buckeyes emerged victorious in each affair once again. Seelig cruised to another win 6-3, 6-1. 

Ohio State continues its season at Purdue Saturday in the ITA Kick-off. The event starts at 10 a.m.