UC Irvine Takes Down Hawai'i, 5-2

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's tennis team battled to a 5-2 win over the University of Hawai'i Friday afternoon at Anteater Tennis Stadium.

UCI (8-12, 2-2 Big West) got off to another strong start in doubles. Sophomore Vatsal Bajpai and freshman Bruce Man-Son-Hing defeated Spencer Travalino/Fabian Woehrl at the No. 3 position, before sophomore Mason Hansen and junior Luca Marquard dispatched Eric Kenneth/Igor Kolaric, 6-3, to secure the early 1-0 lead.

The Anteaters have won the doubles point in all four of their Big West matches this year. They improved their team doubles record to 8-2 against conference opponents and remained perfect at Nos. 2 and 3 where they are 8-0.

The Rainbow Warriors (1-14, 0-4 Big West) would put up a fight in singles with all six matches going to three sets, but UC Irvine was able to dig deep and run away with the victory.

Within a couple minutes of each other, Hansen, sophomore Luis Lopez and Bajpai finished off their opponents to clinch the team's second Big West win. Hansen bounced back from a first-set loss to top Marcel Chan, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 4. Lopez then outlasted Woehrl, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, for his third triumph in the last four outings. Bajpai followed with the decisive match at the sixth spot as he upended Ruben Blattner, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.

Junior Sebastian Heim, who was named the Big West Athlete of the Week on Wednesday, tacked on one more point for the home team at the top of the lineup. He earned his third-straight victory, defeating Kolaric, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 10-7. Heim is now 3-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles against conference foes.

UC Irvine will conclude the regular season on Saturday, April 22, when it welcomes UC Davis to Anteater Tennis Stadium for a 12 p.m. Big West showdown.

UC Irvine 5, Hawai'i 2

Singles
1. Sebastian Heim (UCI) def. Igor Kolaric (UH): 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 10-7
2. Felix Albert (UH) def. Luca Marquard (UCI): 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-5
3. Luis Lopez (UCI) def. Fabian Woehrl (UH): 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
4. Mason Hansen (UCI) def. Marcel Chan (UH): 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Spencer Travalino (UH) def. Bruce Man-Son-Hing (UCI): 3-6, 7-5, 10-4
6. Vatsal Bajpai (UCI) def. Ruben Blattner (UH): 6-0, 4-6, 6-2

Order of finish: 4, 3, 6*, 5, 1, 2

Doubles
1. Albert/Chan (UH) vs. Heim/Lopez (UCI): 5-4, unfinished
2. Hansen/Marquard (UCI) def. Eric Kenneth/Kolaric (UH): 6-3
3. Bajpai/Man-Son-Hing (UCI) def. Travalino/Woehrl (UH): 6-2

Order of finish: 3, 2

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