CAMDEN, N.J. (Sept. 7, 2024) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's tennis program underwent a major overhaul during the off-season and the positive results showed immediately in the season opener here Saturday.
 
Rutgers-Camden earned a point in doubles competition by sweeping the three doubles matches and went on to capture four of the six singles matches as it defeated DeSales University, 5-2, in non-conference play.
 
Coming off a 1-9 campaign during the 2023-24 season in which the lone victory came in their last match, the Scarlet Raptors won their season opener for the first time since beating then-Delaware Valley College (now Delaware Valley University) on Oct. 7, 2014. The win also marked the first time the Scarlet Raptors have been over .500 since beating John Jay College on March 19, 2016, to push their record to 2-1.
 
In the new scoring format where the team winning the majority of the three doubles matches gets one point, the Scarlet Raptors notched that point by winning the two contested matches and earning a forfeit when DeSales couldn't field a team at third doubles. Graduate student Alex Loope and freshman Alex Turcu won at first doubles, 7-6 (7-5) and freshman Neal Shah and graduate student Kenil Patwa captured their match at second doubles, 6-3. Sophomore Julian Pinder and junior Christopher Abacan earned the forfeit win at third doubles.
 
At first singles, Loope was forced to retire in the opening set, giving the win to DeSales. The Bulldogs also won at fourth singles, where Pinder dropped a 6-4, 6-1 decision.
 
Shah won his match at second singles, 6-1, 6-3, while Patwa posted a 6-3, 6-4 victory at third singles. Turcu won, 6-3, 6-4 in the fifth spot and junior Thanh Ngo earned a forfeit win at the sixth spot when DeSales didn't have a player.
 
Rutgers-Camden hosts Penn State-Brandywine Sept. 20 at 3 p.m.