PHILADELPHIA -- Drexel Tennis  started its fall season in impressive fashion Sunday at the Saint Joseph's Invitational hosted by Saint Joseph's University at the SJU Tennis Complex and Finnesey Courts, winning Flights 2 and 4 in singles as well as both doubles draws.

Hamza Laalej was crowned the Flight 2 champion, while Daniil Ginzburg won Flight 4. In doubles, Kashyap Ashok and Sinan Orhon took home the Flight 1 title, while Laalej and Youssef Lahlou won Flight 2. The Dragons also saw Balaji Lakshmanan finish runner-up in Flight 1 singles, and Vuk Subotic advanced to the semifinals in Flight 2 singles.

"I'm proud of the way we handled ourselves in critical points," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. "We played well and smart, and we made every opponent work hard against us."
 
In Flight 2, Laalej, who was kept out of fall competition last season with an injury, is making up for that lost time by tearing through the competition. The Morocco native beat Andrew Reed of Lafayette, 6-0, 6-1, and then made quick work of Lehigh's Colin Nardella, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals. In the semis, Laalej earned a straight-set win over Jack Dyer, before using all three sets to come away with the title against Villanova's Dylan Flanagan. 
 
Ginzburg began with an advancement by withdraw before picking up a 6-3, 6-4 win over Saint Joseph's Alexander Schneider. In the semifinals, the Russia native took down Lehigh's Graham Lehman in straight sets, then took the title following William Elmore's retirement.
 
Lakshmanan, after beating Laurenz Lankes of Delaware on Friday in a three-setter, went on to beat Lehigh's Jack Peterson, 6-4, 6-4, and Saint Joseph's Kyle Chalmers in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 10-6, on Saturday to move onto the semifinals. In the semis, the India native beat Villanova's Tyler Roth in straight sets before falling short in the title match against Tim Stierle. Lakshmanan became the first Drexel player since Badr Ouabdelmoumen in 2014 to advance to the Flight 1 final at the Saint Joseph's Invitational. 
 
Subotic beat Loyola's Colin Kanuch in the morning, 6-3, 6-1, before coming away with the win against Sam Bencheghib of Lehigh, 7-5, 6-4. He then fell in a tight three-set match to Elmore, 6-3, 3-6, 13-11.

Both of Drexel's newcomers, Lahlou and Alex Zenonos, picked up wins in their first collegiate singles matches on Friday. Lahlou beat NIA's Brent Boleslav handedly, 6-1, 6-0, in Flight 2 and also won his second-round match against Michael Santa Lucia, 6-4, 6-0, before falling. Zenonos took down Villanova's Jimmy Purdy, 7-5, 6-1, before bowing out in the next round.
 
In doubles play in Flight 1, Ashok and Orhon continued a strong pairing by winning the title. The two teamed up to beat Villanova in the final, 8-5, after taking down pairs from Boston (8-4), Delaware (8-0), Villanova (8-6) and Lehigh (8-3).
 
The Dragons also saw Laalej and Lahlou take home the Flight 2 title. The Moroccan duo  prevailed over Lehigh in the final, 8-3, after beating Saint Joseph's (8-2), Delaware (8-3) and Saint Joseph's (8-1).
 
Drexel's women's team opened play in Hamden, Conn. at the Quinnipiac Invitational.
 
The Dragons' men return to action on October 1 at the Lehigh Invitational.  
Tim Stierle (SJU) DEF Balaji Lakshmanan (DU), 6-0, 6-4
 
Sinan Orhon (DU) DEF Blake Oslan (LAF), 6-4, 6-4
Tim Stierle (SJU) DEF Sinan Orhon (DU), 5-7, 7-6 (7), 10-3
 
Flight 2 Singles
Youssef Lahlou (DU) DEF Brent Boleslav (NIA), 6-1, 6-0
Youssef Lahlou (DU) DEF Michael Santa Lucia (SJU), 6-4, 6-0
Dylan Flanagan (VU) DEF Youssef Lahlou (DU), 5-7, 6-4, 10-7
 
Hamza Laalej (DU) DEF Andrew Reed (LAF), 6-0, 6-1
Hamza Laalej (DU) DEF Colin Nardella (LEH), 6-3, 6-3
Hamza Laalej (DU) DEF Jack Martin Dyer (LEH), 6-3, 6-1
Hamza Laalej (DU) DEF Dylan Flanagan (VU), 6-3, 5-7, 10-7
 
Flight 3 Singles
Kashyap Ashok (DU) DEF Paul Caruso (LAF), 6-3, 6-4
Dylan Karchere-Sun (LEH) DEF Kashyap Ashok (DU), 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
 
Alex Zenonos (DU) DEF Jimmy Purdy (VU), 7-5, 6-1
Tyler Hansen (LEH) DEF Alex Zenonos (DU), 4-1 (retired)
 
Flight 4 Singles
Daniil Ginzburg (DU) DEF Scott Cameron (UD), withdraw
Daniil Ginzburg (DU) DEF Alexander Schneider (SJU) 6-3, 6-4
Daniil Ginzburg (DU) DEF Graham Lehman (LEH), 7-6 (0), 6-2
Daniil Ginzburg (DU) DEF William Elmore (VU), 5-1 (retired)
 
Vuk Subotic (DU) DEF Colin Kanuch (LOY), 6-3, 6-1
Vuk Subotic (DU) DEF Sam Bencheghib (LEH), 7-5, 6-4
William Elmore (VU) DEF Vuk Subotic (DU), 6-3, 3-6, 13-11
 
Flight 1 Doubles
Lakshmanan & Zenonos (DU) DEF Burch & Cash (LOY), 8-2
Lakshmanan & Zenonos (DU) DEF Dewitt & Stierle (SJU), 8-1
Lakshmanan & Zenonos (DU) DEF Flamatti & Lankes (UD), withdraw 
Roth & Suarez (VU) DEF Lakshmanan & Zenonos (DU), withdraw
 
Ashok & Orhon (DU) DEF Cheng & Wong (UD), 8-0
Ashok & Orhon (DU) DEF Czionka & Noyes (VU), 8-6
Ashok & Orhon (DU) DEF Bogard & Nardella (LEH), 8-3
Ashok & Orhon (DU) DEF Vitiuc & Wright (BU), 8-4
Ashok & Orhon (DU) DEF Roth & Suarez (VU), 8-5
 
Flight 2 Doubles
Laalej & Lahlou (DU) DEF Marcano & Perez (UD), 8-3
Laalej & Lahlou (DU) DEF Janko & Perez (SJU), 8-1
Laalej & Lahlou (DU) DEF Boustany & van Erven (SJU), 8-2
Laalej & Lahlou (DU) DEF Karchere-Sun & Hansen (LEH), 8-3
 
Karchere-Sun & Hansen (LEH) DEF Ginzburg & Subotic (DU), 8-4
Consolation: Ginzburg & Subotic (DU) DEF DePew & Oberholtzer (UD), withdraw
Consolation: Ginzburg & Subotic (DU) DEF Feruzzi & Kanuch (LOY), withdraw
Consolation Final: Ginzburg & Subotic (DU) DEF Bejian & Good (LOY), withdraw