The Johnnie tennis team visits Bethel for a 4 p.m. match this Saturday, April 9, in Arden Hills.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (7-4, 4-1 MIAC) suffered its first conference loss of the season, 9-0, to No. 19 Gustavus Adolphus last Saturday (April 2) at Sta-Fit in Sartell. The match was scheduled to be the Johnnies' outdoor opener at the Chang Tennis Complex in Collegeville, but temperatures in the 40's and winds at 15-20 MPH forced the bout indoors.

The Gusties won all six singles matches in straight sets and posted 8-3 victories - the closest margin - at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles. Sophomore Mike Krasowski (Wausau, Wis./East) dropped his first MIAC match of the spring at No. 5. He lost the first set, 7-6 (9-7), and is now 5-2 (4-1 MIAC) on the year.

A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (8-5, 3-1 MIAC) snapped a two-match skid with a pair of road wins, March 27 at Saint Mary's (8-1) and April 2 at Hamline (9-0). Senior Erik Beckers is 8-5 (3-1 MIAC) at No. 1 singles, while freshman Steven Benoy (at No. 5) and junior Luke Wyly (at No. 4) lead the team with 9-4 records. Wyly and junior Jacob Lukkarila are 9-3 (3-1 MIAC) at No. 2 doubles.

A YEAR AGO: SJU fell to Bethel by a 7-2 score last April 17 (2021) in Collegeville. The match was much closer than the five-point margin shows, as the top three singles matches were decided by the super-breaker (1-2 SJU record) and all three doubles matches by three points or less. 

Beckers and Jason Reilly edged Thomas Gillach '21 and junior Wil McDowell (Sioux Falls, S.D./O'Gorman) at No. 1 doubles, 8-6. Nate Jordre '21 and sophomore Mason Meyer (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) posted an 8-6 win at No. 2, but sophomore Will Deters (Minneapolis, Minn./Wayzata) and junior Hunter Fischer (Spicer, Minn./Willmar) suffered an 8-5 defeat at No. 3.

Gillach won his first set at No. 1 singles, 7-5, but Beckers bounced back to take the second 6-4 and won the match via the super-breaker, 10-8. The pattern repeated itself for Jordre at No. 2, but even tighter. He won the first set, 6-1, but Zach Kantor posted a 6-0 shutout in the second and won a high-scoring super-breaker, 12-10. McDowell won SJU's lone singles match at No. 3: 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 and 10-6.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 18-14 against Bethel since 1990, but just 5-7 in Arden Hills. The Royals have won six of the last eight meetings overall and five of six at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex.