IRVINE, Calif. --- A match full of comebacks ended on one for Fresno State as they cut down the No. 75 Anteaters, 4-3, Wednesday morning at Anteater Tennis Stadium.
The Bulldogs (13-6) began with a doubles win. After a split at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, Fresno State clinched the match at No. 3, 6-3, for the early 1-0 lead.
UCI (16-10, 1-0) and Jonathan Hammel erased the deficit early with a straight-set win at No. 6 singles. The action came quickly with decisions at Nos. 1, 2, and 4 that put the Anteaters ahead, 3-2.
Fresno State would return from an opening-set loss at No. 5 singles to tie the match, and the same at No. 3 to send it to a deciding third set.
Nikolas Papic even dug himself a 3-0 hole in the final set before roaring back to win, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, and seal the match for the Bulldogs, 4-3.
The 'Eaters' loss snaps its 10-match win streak, but they will be able to start a new one this afternoon with a trip to UC Riverside with a match starting at 3:30 p.m.
FRESNO STATE 4, No. 72 UC IRVINE 3
UCI (16-10, 1-0) | FS (13-6)
April 1, 2015
Anteater Tennis Stadium
Doubles
1 Hammel/Pham (UCI) def. Glynn/Komati (FS) – 6-0
2 Hassan/McIntosh (FS) def. Agbayani/Poon (UCI) – 6-3
3 Kartik Nakireddi/Papic (FS) def. Heim/Mertens (UCI) – 6-3
Fresno State wins the doubles point
Singles
1 Sebastian Heim (UCI) def. Sai Kartik Nakireddi (FS) – 6-3, 6-1
2 Nico Mertens (UCI) def. Adam Glynn (FS) – 6-2, 6-2
3 Nikolas Papic (FS) def. Tyler Pham (UCI) – 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
4 Euan McIntosh (FS) def. Shuhei Shibahara (UCI) – 6-2, 6-3
5 Eric Komati (FS) def. Rafael Davidian (UCI) – 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
6 Jonathan Hammel (UCI) def. Youssef Hassan (FS) – 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles – 1, 2, 3 | Singles – 6, 4, 1, 2, 5, 3
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