IRVINE, Calif. --- The 'Eaters were tested in their first home match of the season, but gutted out the win, 6-1, over the visiting Rebels of UNLV at Anteater Tennis Stadium.
Doubles was off to an ominous start with UNLV's No. 1 duo taking an early 5-0 lead on Fabian Matthews (Newport Beach / Corona del Mar HS) and Ryan Cheung (Irvine / University HS). The pair would surge back for the final eight points and finish the set. The freshman pair of Jacob Jung (Upland / Options for Youth HS) and Shuhei Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes / Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) fought hard with UNLV's pair of Schoeman/Markel, but managed an 8-6 win for the doubles point. Jon Kazarian (Rancho Palos Verdes / Peninsula HS) and Sam Gould (Hamilton, New Zealand / St. Kentigren College Prep) trailed throughout their match, at one point 7-4. They closed the gap, but lost, 9-8.
In singles action, the start was equally as ominous. Cheung, Jung, and Mika DeCoster (Ladera Ranch / Laurel Springs HS) each were thumped in their first sets. Matthews and Kazarian strolled to first set wins, while Gould fought back and forth in an elongated tiebreaker before finally dropping it, 7-6, to Tamas Batyi.
Cheung was dispatched rather early to Alex Bull of UNLV, 6-2,6-3, to tie the match up at 1-1. Matthews and Kazarian would continue their runs with straight set wins to give UCI the 3-1 advantage. DeCoster and Jung would battle back with 6-2 and 7-5 wins, respectively, to force a third set. Gould fought back as well with a 6-4 set win.
DeCoster would provide the clincher, 6-0, in his collegiate debut over local player, Charlie Alvarado. Jung and Gould would eventually breakthrough and win their sets as well, 7-5 and 10-8, respectively, with Gould playing a 10-point tiebreaker.
The young Anteaters survived to get their first win in 2012, but their week still isn't over the hump. As part of the ITA Kickoff Classic, UC Irvine will return to the campus of UCLA to face Fresno State on Sat. Jan. 28th for a 9:00 a.m. match. It's Sunday opponent will be determined by the outcome of the UCLA/Alabama matchup.
#40 UC IRVINE 6, #61 UNLV 1
Jan. 26, 2012 – Anteater Tennis Stadium
DOUBLES
(1) Cheung/Matthews (UCI) def. Bull/Ruegamer (UNLV) – 8-5
(2) Jung/Shibahahra (UCI) def. Schoeman/Markel (UNLV) – 8-6
(3) Batyi/Sublette (UNLV) def. Gould/Kazarian (UCI) – 9-8 (7-4)
UCLA wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES
(1) Fabian Matthews (UCI) def. Rene Ruegamer (UNLV) – 6-2, 6-3
(2) Sam Gould (UCI) def. Tamas Batyi (UNLV) – 6-7, 6-4, (10-8)
(3) Alex Bull (UNLV) def. Ryan Cheung (UCI) – 6-2, 6-3
(4) Jacob Jung (UCI) def. Bernard Schoeman (UNLV) – 2-6, 7-5, 7-5
(5) Jon Kazarian (UCI) def. Johannes Markel (UNLV) – 6-4, 6-2
(6) Mika DeCoster (UCI) def. Charlie Alvarado (UNLV) – 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5, 6, 4, 2
A recap of the match can be found here in the live blog.
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