Friday, April 19
Irvine, CA
10:00 AM
UC Irvine
vs
Northern Arizona
Anteaters Conclude Regular Season with Two Home Matches
April 18, 2019 | Men's Tennis
Northern Arizona (19-6, 10-0 Big Sky) at
UC Irvine (13-6, 2-2 Big West)
Date: Friday, April 19
Time: 10 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Anteater Tennis Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
UC Davis (10-9, 0-3 Big West) at
UC Irvine (13-6, 2-2 Big West)
Date: Saturday, April 20
Time: 11 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Anteater Tennis Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Notes (PDF)
IRVINE, Calif. - Before the Big West Tournament kicks off next week, the Anteaters will close out the regular season with two matches at home. UC Irvine will host Northern Arizona on Friday at 10:00 a.m., followed by an 11:00 a.m. match on Saturday against UC Davis.
STORYLINES
• Senior Sasha Krasnov has won four of his last six singles matches and is 9-5 during the dual season.
• Krasnov, who has played at the top two positions, is currently 5-0 at No. 2.
• Senior Luis Lopez earned his third career Big West Player of the Week award on March 13.
• Lopez was recognized after going unbeaten at No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles vs. Boston College and Villanova.
• He also had a clutch 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win at the top of the lineup to give UCI a 4-3 victory over Gonzaga.
• Junior Daniel Gealer has won five-straight singles matches and leads the team with 12 dual wins.
• Gealer is a combined 11-3 when playing at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots.
• Sophomore Mateusz Smolicki is second on the team with 10 singles victories.
• Smolicki recently picked up a win over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 93 Victor Krustev (UCSB), 6-4, 6-1.
• Senior Mason Hansen is 5-1 at No. 3 singles, suffering his first loss at that position against Hawai'i on April 6.
• Lopez and junior Bruce Man-Son-Hing have led the way in doubles with a 12-2 record at Nos. 1-3.
• The newly formed duo of Hansen and Krasnov earned a pair of victories in Hawaii as they are now 3-0.
• UC Irvine has seven returning letterwinners from a 2017-18 squad that finished with a 16-12 record.
• The 'Eaters made their fourth-straight appearance in the Big West semifinals last year.
• UCI was a 2017-18 ITA All-Academic Team with six players earning individual Scholar-Athlete honors.
VERSUS THE OPPONENTS
Northern Arizona (19-6, 10-0 Big Sky) comes to UC Irvine having won 16 consecutive matches, including a 4-3 victory over Big West foe UC Davis on March 29. The Lumberjacks are led by two-time All-Big Sky MVP, Tim Handel. While playing at the No. 1 singles position, the senior is 19-1, and has won 14-straight matches en route to a No. 72 national ranking. Since 1999, the 'Eaters are 5-1 against the Lumberjacks, most recently dropping a 4-3 decision in 2017.
UC Davis (10-9, 0-3 Big West), which boasts the 2017 and 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year award winners, is on a three-match losing streak. Junior David Goulak, who received the honor two years ago, is currently 7-10 in dual singles play, with a couple losses against nationally ranked opponents. Sophomore Ivan Thamma was the top-rated rookie last season and earned All-Big West First Team honors in singles and doubles. Thamma/Goulak have teamed up to go 10-2 at No. 1 doubles and were ranked as high as No. 78 this year. The 'Eaters are 11-5 all-time against the Aggies but have lost three straight including a 4-1 decision in the 2018 regular-season finale.
MAKING THE TRANSITION
In his first season after transferring from USC, sophomore Mateusz Smolicki has played a key role in the Anteaters' success this year. He owns a handful of big victories, highlighted by a convincing 6-4, 6-1 win over #93 Victor Krustev of UC Santa Barbara. Smolicki has now won two straight and is also second on the team with 10 wins in dual singles play.
LAST TIME OUT
The Anteaters showed resiliency and determination during a tightly contested 4-2 loss against four-time defending Big West champion UC Santa Barbara last Saturday. The Gauchos got off to a hot start as the 72nd-ranked duo of Nicolas Moreno de Alboran/Anders Holm defeated Luis Lopez and Bruce Man-Son-Hing, 6-1, at the top spot. UCI's Mason Hansen and Sasha Krasnov were on their way to a victory at the No. 3 position before their match was cut short, as Joseph Guillin/Victor Krustev delivered a point-clinching 6-2 win over Vatsal Bajpai and Mateusz Smolicki.
The 'Eaters bounced back in singles play with a huge victory from Smolicki, who upended No. 93 Krustev, 6-4, 6-1, on court three. A back-and-forth battle then ensued, including four sets reaching tiebreakers. The Gauchos would reclaim the advantage with a win at No. 6 before Daniel Gealer made it 2-2 with an impressive 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Joseph Rotheram at No. 4. At the top spot, Krasnov then dropped a close match against #14 Moreno de Alboran 7-5, 7-6 (7-4). Over at the No. 4 position, Hansen was locked in a battle with Hironori Koyanagi, but ultimately fell 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4). Lopez also went to a third set against No. 56 Guillin when the match was cut short due to the Gauchos securing the victory with Koyanagi's win. UC Santa Barbara improved to 12-6 overall and 3-0 in the Big West. The win was the 27th-straight for the Gauchos versus Big West opponents.
LOOKING AHEAD
The 'Eaters will head to Indian Wells, Calif., for the Big West Tournament, which takes place from April 25-28.
UC Irvine (13-6, 2-2 Big West)
Date: Friday, April 19
Time: 10 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Anteater Tennis Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
UC Davis (10-9, 0-3 Big West) at
UC Irvine (13-6, 2-2 Big West)
Date: Saturday, April 20
Time: 11 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Anteater Tennis Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Notes (PDF)
IRVINE, Calif. - Before the Big West Tournament kicks off next week, the Anteaters will close out the regular season with two matches at home. UC Irvine will host Northern Arizona on Friday at 10:00 a.m., followed by an 11:00 a.m. match on Saturday against UC Davis.
STORYLINES
• Senior Sasha Krasnov has won four of his last six singles matches and is 9-5 during the dual season.
• Krasnov, who has played at the top two positions, is currently 5-0 at No. 2.
• Senior Luis Lopez earned his third career Big West Player of the Week award on March 13.
• Lopez was recognized after going unbeaten at No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles vs. Boston College and Villanova.
• He also had a clutch 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win at the top of the lineup to give UCI a 4-3 victory over Gonzaga.
• Junior Daniel Gealer has won five-straight singles matches and leads the team with 12 dual wins.
• Gealer is a combined 11-3 when playing at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots.
• Sophomore Mateusz Smolicki is second on the team with 10 singles victories.
• Smolicki recently picked up a win over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 93 Victor Krustev (UCSB), 6-4, 6-1.
• Senior Mason Hansen is 5-1 at No. 3 singles, suffering his first loss at that position against Hawai'i on April 6.
• Lopez and junior Bruce Man-Son-Hing have led the way in doubles with a 12-2 record at Nos. 1-3.
• The newly formed duo of Hansen and Krasnov earned a pair of victories in Hawaii as they are now 3-0.
• UC Irvine has seven returning letterwinners from a 2017-18 squad that finished with a 16-12 record.
• The 'Eaters made their fourth-straight appearance in the Big West semifinals last year.
• UCI was a 2017-18 ITA All-Academic Team with six players earning individual Scholar-Athlete honors.
VERSUS THE OPPONENTS
Northern Arizona (19-6, 10-0 Big Sky) comes to UC Irvine having won 16 consecutive matches, including a 4-3 victory over Big West foe UC Davis on March 29. The Lumberjacks are led by two-time All-Big Sky MVP, Tim Handel. While playing at the No. 1 singles position, the senior is 19-1, and has won 14-straight matches en route to a No. 72 national ranking. Since 1999, the 'Eaters are 5-1 against the Lumberjacks, most recently dropping a 4-3 decision in 2017.
UC Davis (10-9, 0-3 Big West), which boasts the 2017 and 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year award winners, is on a three-match losing streak. Junior David Goulak, who received the honor two years ago, is currently 7-10 in dual singles play, with a couple losses against nationally ranked opponents. Sophomore Ivan Thamma was the top-rated rookie last season and earned All-Big West First Team honors in singles and doubles. Thamma/Goulak have teamed up to go 10-2 at No. 1 doubles and were ranked as high as No. 78 this year. The 'Eaters are 11-5 all-time against the Aggies but have lost three straight including a 4-1 decision in the 2018 regular-season finale.
MAKING THE TRANSITION
In his first season after transferring from USC, sophomore Mateusz Smolicki has played a key role in the Anteaters' success this year. He owns a handful of big victories, highlighted by a convincing 6-4, 6-1 win over #93 Victor Krustev of UC Santa Barbara. Smolicki has now won two straight and is also second on the team with 10 wins in dual singles play.
LAST TIME OUT
The Anteaters showed resiliency and determination during a tightly contested 4-2 loss against four-time defending Big West champion UC Santa Barbara last Saturday. The Gauchos got off to a hot start as the 72nd-ranked duo of Nicolas Moreno de Alboran/Anders Holm defeated Luis Lopez and Bruce Man-Son-Hing, 6-1, at the top spot. UCI's Mason Hansen and Sasha Krasnov were on their way to a victory at the No. 3 position before their match was cut short, as Joseph Guillin/Victor Krustev delivered a point-clinching 6-2 win over Vatsal Bajpai and Mateusz Smolicki.
The 'Eaters bounced back in singles play with a huge victory from Smolicki, who upended No. 93 Krustev, 6-4, 6-1, on court three. A back-and-forth battle then ensued, including four sets reaching tiebreakers. The Gauchos would reclaim the advantage with a win at No. 6 before Daniel Gealer made it 2-2 with an impressive 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Joseph Rotheram at No. 4. At the top spot, Krasnov then dropped a close match against #14 Moreno de Alboran 7-5, 7-6 (7-4). Over at the No. 4 position, Hansen was locked in a battle with Hironori Koyanagi, but ultimately fell 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4). Lopez also went to a third set against No. 56 Guillin when the match was cut short due to the Gauchos securing the victory with Koyanagi's win. UC Santa Barbara improved to 12-6 overall and 3-0 in the Big West. The win was the 27th-straight for the Gauchos versus Big West opponents.
LOOKING AHEAD
The 'Eaters will head to Indian Wells, Calif., for the Big West Tournament, which takes place from April 25-28.
Players Mentioned
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