SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The UC Irvine men's tennis team lost its Big West season-opener 5-2 to Cal Poly, Saturday in San Luis Obispo.
 
UCI falls to 11-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. Cal Poly improves to 9-6 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
 
The bottom of the lineup led the 'Eaters today as UCI earned wins at Nos. 5-6 singles.
 
INSIDE THE MATCH
Doubles
> Vatsal Bajpai and Mateusz Smolicki fell at No. 1 doubles to Josh Ortlip and Dom Bechard, 7-5
> Mason Hansen and Sasha Krasnov earned a win at No. 3, 7-6 (2) but the Mustangs' Antoine Noel and Gary Vardonyan earned a 7-6 (3) win on court two to clinch the point
 
Singles
> Two of UCI's singles matches went into three sets
> Daniel Gealer won at No. 5 over Bechard, 6-2, 6-3, to knot the match, 1-1
> The Mustangs used wins at Nos. 4 and 2 to take a 3-1 lead
> Alex State clinched the match for Cal Poly with a win at No. 3 over Smolicki. The match went into three sets as Smolicki won the second but lost the first and the third, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
> Aaron Bailey also highlighted the day for the 'Eaters with a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 6
 
UP NEXT
> UCI takes a trip to Hawaii to play two conference matches. The 'Eaters play UC Riverside (April 5) and Hawaii (April 6)
 
Doubles
1. Josh Ortlip/Dom Bechard (CP) def. Vatsal Bajpai/Mateusz Smolicki (UCI), 7-5
2. Antoine Noel/Gary Vardonyan (CP) def. Luis Lopez/Bruce Man-Son-Hing (UCI), 7-6 (3)
3. Mason Hansen/Sasha Krasnov (UCI) def. Daly Meinert/Andrew Whitehouse (CP), 7-6 (2)
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
 
Singles
1.  Ortilp (CP) def. Krasnov (UCI), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
2. Noel (CP) def. Lopez (UCI), 6-4, 6-3
3. Alex State (CP) def. Smolicki (UCI), 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
4. Vardonyan (CP) def. Hansen (UCI), 6-4, 6-3
5. Daniel Gealer (UCI) def. Bechard (CP), 6-2, 6-3
6. Aaron Bailey (UCI) def. Meinert (CP), 6-3, 7-5
Order of finish: 5, 4, 2, 3, 6, 1