BERKELEY, Calif. – The UC Irvine men's tennis team won two matches on the first day of the ITA Sectional Championships Thursday at Hellman Tennis Complex.
 
Tal Goodman and Hiroki Sakagawa opened with an impressive 7-5, 6-4 doubles victory over Arizona State's Ofek Shimanov/Jelani Sarr. The Anteater duo will move on to tomorrow's quarterfinal where they are set to face Luca Bluett/John Kim of Santa Clara at 9 a.m.
 
Sakagawa also defeated Oregon's Lachlan Robertson to advance to the singles Round of 16. In an epic first-set tiebreaker, Sakagawa outlasted Robertson, 13-11, and kept the momentum on his side as he closed out the 7-6 (11), 6-1 win. He will go up against Zoran Ludoski of Arizona tomorrow.
 
Goodman took the first set off Cal's Bernardo Munk Mesa, but Mesa bounced back for a hard-fought 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory on his home court.
 
Max Fardanesh fell to former teammate Andy Nguyen (UCLA), 6-2, 6-3, in the Round of 32. Nguyen is 112th in the ITA Singles Rankings. It was the third time this season Fardanesh faced a ranked opponent.
 
The ITA Sectional Championships continue Friday, starting with doubles at 9 a.m. From this event, six singles players (semifinalists, two quarterfinal playoff winners) and three doubles teams (champion, finalist, third place) will qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships.


ITA Sectional Championships

Main Draw Doubles
Round of 16
Tal Goodman/Hiroki Sakagawa (UCI) def. Ofek Shimanov/Jelani Sarr (Arizona State) 7-5, 6-4

Main Draw Singles
Round of 32
Hiroki Sakagawa (UCI) def. Lachlan Robertson (Oregon) 7-6 (13-11), 6-1
Bernardo Munk Mesa (Cal) def. Tal Goodman (UCI) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5
Andy Nguyen (UCLA) def. Max Fardanesh (UCI) 6-2, 6-3

Consolation Singles
Round of 16
Alexander Watanabe Eriksson (Santa Clara) def. Tal Goodman (UCI) 6-1, 4-6, 10-8
Oskar Jansson (Arizona) def. Max Fardanesh (UCI) 6-3, 6-4