UC Irvine Earns Big Road Win at Hawai'i

Saturday, April 1

Honolulu. O'ahu

4:00 PM PT

UC Irvine

Hawai'i

Photo by: Matt Brown

UC Irvine Earns Big Road Win at Hawai'i

April 01, 2023 | Men's Tennis

Box Score

HONOLULU - The UC Irvine men's tennis team kept its win streak alive with a big 5-2 road victory over Hawai'i Saturday at the UH Tennis Complex.

The Anteaters (9-6, 2-0 Big West) won their eighth in a row and remained unbeaten in Big West play, while the Rainbow Warriors dropped to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in conference.

UH claimed the doubles point for the early advantage. Kilan Maitre/Axel Labrunie defeated Thomas Smart and Enrique Luque Rico, 6-2, at No. 2, before Andre Ilagan/Lucas Labrunie secured the 1-0 lead with a 6-4 triumph over Brandon Park and Noah Zamora at the top of the lineup.

Like they've done in each of their last two outings, the 'Eaters bounced right back with a dominant performance in singles. Smart avenged his doubles loss to Maitre as he was first off the court with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 6.

UCI proceeded to take the lead after Park dispatched Vojta Vlkovsky, 6-3, 6-4, at the second position.

Rithvik Krishna kept the momentum on the Anteaters' side, taking down Guillaume Tattevin, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, at No. 4.

Ali Amiri then delivered the match-clinching point by closing out a 7-5, 6-4 win over Lucas Labrunie on court five.

Although the match was already decided, Luque Rico and Zamora played out the third set in their respective matches. At No. 3, Zamora outlasted Axel Labrunie, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. At No. 1, Luque Rico took the first set off 68th-ranked Andre Ilagan, who is the reigning Big West Player of the Year, but Ilagan held strong for the 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 win. It was Luque Rico's first loss since Feb. 18.

Krishna and Zamora each extended their singles win streak to seven, while Amiri earned his sixth victory in a row.

UC Irvine will be back in action next Saturday, April 8, at Cal Poly.