LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- The No. 40 Anteaters had an early exit for the second day in a row this time to the No. 59 Alabama Crimson Tide in the second day of the ITA Kickoff Classic at Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Alabama (1-2) earned the doubles point with and 8-2 win over Ryan Cheung (Irvine / University HS) and Fabian Matthews (Newport Beach / Corona del Mar HS) and an 8-4 win over the freshman duo of Jacob Jung (Upland / Options for Youth HS) and Shuhei Shibahara (Ranchos Palos Verdes / Palos Verdes Peninsula HS).
Alabama opened up the lead in singles as Jarryd Botha took the No. 1 matchup over Matthews, 6-4,6-3. The 'Eaters (1-3) got on the board thanks to Jon Kazarian (Ranchos Palos Verdes / Peninsula HS) took a 6-3,6-4 win over Carlos Taborga. The Tide would not relinquish the lead, however, as Shibahara and Sam Gould (Hamilton, New Zealand / St. Kentigren College Prep) would fall to give Alabama the four points for the win, 4-1.
Cheung and Jung were on the verge of splitting the first two set against ranked opponents as the Tide clinched.
UCI falls to 1-3 on the year now with its next match coming at home on Fri. Feb. 3rd against the upstart San Diego State Aztecs.
#59 Alabama 4 #40 UC Irvine 1
Los Angeles, Calif. --- Los Angeles Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Doverspike/Thompson (ALA) def. Cheung/Matthews (UCI) -- 8-2
2. Botha/Vieyra (ALA) def. Jung/Shibahara (UCI) -- 8-4
3. Gould/Kazarian (UCI) vs. Reddy/Taborga (ALA) -- 4-5, unfinished
Alabama Wins Doubles Point
Singles
1. Jarryd Botha (ALA) def. Fabian Matthews (UCI) -- 6-4, 6-3
2. Ricky Doverspike (ALA) def. Sam Gould (UCI) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
3. Ryan Cheung (UCI) vs. #96 Vikram Reddy (ALA) -- 6-7 (6), 5-4, unfinished
4. Jacob Jung (UCI) vs. #91 Daniil Proskura (ALA) -- 3-6, 5-4, unfinished
5. Jon Kazarian (UCI) def. Carlos Taborga (ALA) -- 6-3, 6-4
6. Stuart Kenyon (ALA) def. Shuhei Shibahara (UCI) -- 7-6 (1), 6-3
Match Notes
Alabama 1-2; National Ranking #59
UC Irvine 1-3; National Ranking #40
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,5,6,2)
Consolation match
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