Results

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's tennis won its third-straight Big West match, taking down UC Santa Barbara, 5-2, Sunday at Anteater Tennis Stadium.
 
The Gauchos (5-4, 3-1 Big West), who were short-handed with only five available players, put up a fight as they took four of the five contested singles matches to three sets. But, the 'Eaters, who were also without two key components to their lineup in Jeremy Merville and Mark Peneff, stepped up to end UCSB's 35-match win streak against Big West opponents.
 
UC Irvine (8-5, 3-1 Big West) won the doubles point with Bruce Man-Son-Hing and Matthew Sah securing the early lead on court two, after UCSB forfeited at No. 3. Playing together for the first time this season, Man-Son-Hing and Sah didn't miss a beat, cruising to a 6-2 victory over Pablo Masjuan/Joseph Rotheram. It was Man-Son-Hing's 50th career doubles win, making him the 16th Anteater in program history to reach that milestone.
 
Bjorn Hoffmann and Mateusz Smolicki also fought back from a 5-3 deficit to defeat Kai Brady/Victor Krustev, 7-5, at the top of the lineup.
 
The 'Eaters started singles play with a 2-0 lead after Thomas Smart was credited with a win by forfeit at No. 6. Ali Amiri quickly added to UCI's advantage as he dispatched Josh Williams, 6-1, 6-2, at the fifth position.
 
Mike Mkrtchian then delivered the point that secured UCI's first team victory over UCSB since 2015. It didn't come easy as Mkrtchian dropped the first set, but made the adjustments and bounced back for an impressive 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 triumph. Mkrtchian extended his individual win streak to five.
 
Both squads continued to battle it out with the remainder of the matches going three sets. The Gauchos won at Nos. 1 and 3, while Smolicki outlasted Masjuan, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 at No. 2.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine improved to 7-1 when winning the doubles point.
• The 'Eaters remained unbeaten at home where they are 4-0.
• Bruce Man-Son-Hing now owns a 50-27 career dual-match doubles record.
• His 50 victories rank 16th among UCI's all-time doubles win leaders.
• Mike Mkrtchian, who is 7-3 overall, has the Anteaters' longest active singles win streak at five.
• Mateusz Smolicki has also won three singles matches in a row, moving to 4-1 on the season.
• UC Santa Barbara's last loss against a Big West opponent came six years ago (April 11, 2015).