DePaul Men’s Tennis Faces Denver and Butler This Weekend

EVANSTON/CHICAGO – DePaul men’s tennis will compete in a pair of dual matches this weekend, beginning with a neutral-site contest against Denver on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT in Evanston, Ill., and continuing with a home match against Butler on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT at XS Tennis Village in Chicago. The Butler match marks the Blue Demons’ first BIG EAST action of the season.

DePaul enters the weekend after a challenging start to its dual campaign, which included matches against Cleveland State, VCU, ETSU, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin. Three of the Blue Demons’ five matches have been closely contested, decided by a score of 4-3.

Sebastian Medica, Augusto Pardo Cano, and Alejandro Gandini each lead DePaul with two dual singles victories this season. Gandini has secured wins at the top of the lineup, even as Medica and Pardo Cano have contributed key points in the middle and back of the order. Andy Hadziabdic has also earned a dual point for DePaul, demonstrating balance in singles play.

In doubles competition, the pairing of Thomas Giles and Sven Moser leads the team with five overall wins as they work to secure the doubles point.

Denver Notes (Feb. 21 – Evanston, Ill.)

• Record: 4-2 overall
• Head Coach: Drew Eberly (4th season)
• Denver opened its dual season with wins over Texas Tech (4-3), Utah (4-3), Montana State (7-0), and Montana (6-1).
• Theo Coats leads the team with a 17-3 overall record (5-1 dual).
• Raffaello Papajcik is 5-1 in dual singles, including 3-1 at No. 1.
• Connor Robb-Wilcox has 12 total singles wins this season.
• Robb-Wilcox/Coats lead in doubles with a 7-2 overall record.

Denver holds a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, with the last meeting occurring in 2015 when the Pioneers won 5-2 in Chicago. Saturday’s match will be the first between the programs in over a decade.

Butler Notes (Feb. 22 – Chicago, Ill.)

• Record: 2-6 overall (0-0 BIG EAST)
• Head Coach: Sam Miles
• Butler has defeated Toledo (4-3) and Marian (4-0) this spring.
• Rahul Konakanchi leads the Bulldogs with a 9-4 singles record.
• Nicolas Arts (8-10) and Siddhartha Lama (8-10) provide lineup depth.
• Arts/Konakanchi are 5-5 as a doubles pair.

DePaul holds a 10-4 edge in the series since 2014, but fell 5-2 in the most recent meeting on April 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. Recent matchups have been competitive, with three of the last seven decided by a 4-3 score. The teams have split recent meetings in Chicago, with DePaul winning 4-3 in 2022 and Butler claiming a 7-0 result in 2024.

For the latest information on DePaul Men’s Tennis, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com.