COLUMBUS - The top-ranked Columbus State University men's tennis team opened its home slate with a 7-0 victory over No. 16 Wingate University on Saturday. The match took place at the John W. Walden Tennis Center.

It was CSU's fifth straight sweep as the Cougars won their 24th consecutive regular-season match. Columbus State has five top-25 wins already to its tally following Saturday's victory. It was Wingate's (4-1) first loss of the year.

All three doubles matches went Columbus State's way to begin the day. Christian Garay and Felix Steen were 6-3 winners at second doubles, while Tommaso Schold and Pietro Martinetti won third doubles by the same margin. Alavaro Regalado and Javier Cueto Ramos had no issue with Matteo Gostoli and Roy Stepanov in a 6-2 decision. 

The Cougars (7-0) ran through Wingate in singles play. CSU lost four or more games in only three of the possible 12 sets, with first singles being the most competitive match of the day. Regalado only took the first set 7-6 before he stormed to a 6-2 win in the second to finish off Giacomini. 

At second singles, Garay had a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Matthew Jones, while Schold only lost three games as well in his 6-1, 6-2 outcome at third singles against Tolunay Sumer. Cueto Ramos had the easiest time of it during singles play with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the fourth position. 

Steen and Martinetti capped off the Columbus State sweep at fifth and sixth singles, respectively. Steen battled to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Stepano with fellow freshman Martinetti defeated Edis Nokic 6-2, 6-4.

Columbus State will have a week off before returning to action on Saturday, March 20. The Cougars will busy hosting a doubleheader against No. 25 Southwest Baptist University at 9 a.m. before taking on the University of Montevallo at 2 p.m. Both matches will take place at the Walden Tennis Center.