Results (PDF)

SAN FRANCISCO - The UC Irvine men's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision to San Francisco Friday afternoon at the California Tennis Club.
 
Junior transfer Jeremy Merville highlighted the day with his first dual-match singles win as an Anteater.
 
The Dons (3-3) took the early lead, securing the doubles point with a pair of 6-3 victories at No. 1 and No. 2. Senior Bruce Man-Son-Hing and junior Mateusz Smolicki fell to Paul Giraud/Ori Maior at the top of the lineup, while Merville and freshman Matthew Sah came up short against Phuc Huynh/Mitch Johnson. At the third sport, USF's Johan Garpered/Nitzan Ricklis handed junior Antoine Barthe and senior Daniel Gealer their first loss of the season as a tandem, 6-4.
 
In singles, Merville quickly evened the match at 1-1 as he dispatched Johnson in straight sets at No. 4. Merville cruised to a 6-1 victory in the first set and kept the momentum on his side with a 6-4 triumph in the second.
 
San Francisco then answered with wins at Nos. 5, 2 and 3 to clinch the match.
 
At the top spot, Smolicki was on the comeback trail against 88th-ranked Nitzan Ricklis when the match was decided. After dropping the first set, 7-5, Smolicki handily won the second, 6-3, and was locked in a 3-3 tie with Ricklis in the final frame.
 
Barthe was also up, 6-4, 5-5, against Garpered at No. 6.
 
UC Irvine (0-2) will stay in Northern California for one more match this weekend as it heads to Moraga for an 11 a.m. tilt at Saint Mary's on Sunday, Feb. 9.