Results

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's tennis team swept UC Davis, 7-0, in its regular-season finale Saturday at Anteater Tennis Stadium. It was the final home match for seniors Bruce Man-Son-Hing, Mateusz Smolicki, Jeremy Merville, Bjorn Hoffmann and Jonathan Star.
 
The 'Eaters (10-5, 5-1 Big West) finished their 2021 home slate with a perfect 6-0 record and will ride a season-long five-match win streak into next week's conference tournament. The Aggies dropped to 8-10 overall and 2-4 in Big West play.
 
UCI got out to a strong start, winning the doubles point for the fourth time in its last five outings. Bjorn Hoffmann and Bruce Man-Son-Hing, who were playing together for the first time since April 3, reunited to defeat Mitchell Davis/Andrei Volgin, 6-3, at No. 2.
 
Jeremy Merville and Matthew Sah then clinched the point with a 6-4 triumph over Dariush Jalali/Cethan Swanson, 6-4, at the third position. Merville and Sah improved to 5-1 on the year.
 
The Anteaters kept the momentum in singles play, winning on all six courts. Mark Peneff got things started as he made quick work of Arjith Jayaraman, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 6. Mike Mkrtchian followed suit at the fourth spot where he blanked Andras Necz in the opening set before closing out the 6-0, 7-5 victory. Merville then clinched the team win at No. 3, outlasting David Goulak, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
 
With the teams playing out the remainder of the matches, Hoffmann proceeded to claim his ninth victory at the top of the lineup, taking down Ivan Thamma, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
 
Mateusz Smolicki and Sah both went the distance, coming out on top in three sets at No. 2 and No. 5, respectively. After falling, 6-4, Smolicki regrouped and dominated the next two frames, 6-1, 6-1. Sah also bounced back for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 win.
 
Up next for UC Irvine will be the Big West Championships, April 30-May 2.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine improved to 8-1 when winning the doubles point.
• The Anteaters are second in the Big West standings at 5-1.
• It is their best conference finish since claiming a share of the regular-season title in 2015.
• Dating back to last year, the 'Eaters have won eight consecutive home matches.
• Bruce Man-Son-Hing now owns a 51-27 career dual-match doubles record.
• His 51 victories rank 16th among UCI's all-time doubles win leaders.
• Mike Mkrtchian, who is 9-3 overall, has the Anteaters' longest active singles win streak at six.
• Mkrtchian and Bjorn Hoffmann are tied for the team lead with nine singles victories each.
• Mateusz Smolicki has also won five singles matches in a row, moving to 6-1 on the season.