Saturday, April 12
Irvine, Calif.
12:00 PM
UC Irvine
0
vs
4
#43 UC Santa Barbara
βEaters Come up Short Against Gauchos in First-Place Battle
April 12, 2025 | Men's Tennis
IRVINE, Calif. - No. 46 UC Irvine came up short against No. 43 UC Santa Barbara, 4-0, in a battle between the top-two teams in the Big West Saturday afternoon at Anteater Tennis Stadium.
Β
The Gauchos (16-3, 5-0 Big West) took sole possession of first place in the conference standings and clinched a share of the regular season title. The Anteaters (14-5, 4-1 Big West) are now one game back with one match remaining.
Β
UCSB started the afternoon by winning a hard-fought doubles point. The visitors held the early advantage after a 6-2 victory at No. 2.
Β
Max Fardanesh and Rithvik Krishna then upended Diogo Morais/Sam Rappaport, 6-3, at the third position to even the playing field. Fardanesh/Krishna dropped the first game before reeling off three-straight wins to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Β
All eyes turned to court one where No. 74 Andy Nguyen/Noah Zamora were in a back-and-forth affair with Gianluca Brunkow/Lucca Liu. The Gauchos were the first to break serve for a 3-2 edge and stayed out front the rest of the way, eventually closing it out at 6-4.
Β
In singles, UC Santa Barbara went up 2-0 after No. 110 Diogo Morais defeated Ruining Huang, 6-2, 6-2, at the fourth spot.
Β
Rithvik Krishna put up a fight at No. 3, but Lucca Liu was able to pull out the 7-6 (5), 6-4 win. Matei Gavrea then clinched the match with a straight-set victory on court six. Sohrob Amiryavari climbed his way out of a 5-2 hole to force a first-set tiebreaker but his comeback effort fell just short. Gavrea then kept the momentum in the second frame for a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win.
Β
No. 59 Noah Zamora was on his way to his sixth ranked victory of the season as he was up 6-4, 1-6, 4-1 on No. 79 Gianluca Brunkow at the top of the lineup. Zamora is still unbeaten in his last 28 matches (20-0) against Big West opponents.
Β
At No. 2, Andy Nguyen rebounded from a first-set loss to Dominique Rolland with a dominant 6-1 win in the second. Nguyen is unbeaten in his last 15 outings where he is 12-0 with three matches that went unfinished.
Β
Max Fardanesh was also locked in a 3-6, 6-3, 3-3 tieΒ with Conrad Brown at the fifth spot when their match was abandoned.
Β
UC Irvine returns to Anteater Tennis Stadium next Saturday, April 19, when it hosts UC Davis in its regular-season finale. First serve is set for 10 a.m.
Β
Β
The Gauchos (16-3, 5-0 Big West) took sole possession of first place in the conference standings and clinched a share of the regular season title. The Anteaters (14-5, 4-1 Big West) are now one game back with one match remaining.
Β
UCSB started the afternoon by winning a hard-fought doubles point. The visitors held the early advantage after a 6-2 victory at No. 2.
Β
Max Fardanesh and Rithvik Krishna then upended Diogo Morais/Sam Rappaport, 6-3, at the third position to even the playing field. Fardanesh/Krishna dropped the first game before reeling off three-straight wins to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Β
All eyes turned to court one where No. 74 Andy Nguyen/Noah Zamora were in a back-and-forth affair with Gianluca Brunkow/Lucca Liu. The Gauchos were the first to break serve for a 3-2 edge and stayed out front the rest of the way, eventually closing it out at 6-4.
Β
In singles, UC Santa Barbara went up 2-0 after No. 110 Diogo Morais defeated Ruining Huang, 6-2, 6-2, at the fourth spot.
Β
Rithvik Krishna put up a fight at No. 3, but Lucca Liu was able to pull out the 7-6 (5), 6-4 win. Matei Gavrea then clinched the match with a straight-set victory on court six. Sohrob Amiryavari climbed his way out of a 5-2 hole to force a first-set tiebreaker but his comeback effort fell just short. Gavrea then kept the momentum in the second frame for a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win.
Β
No. 59 Noah Zamora was on his way to his sixth ranked victory of the season as he was up 6-4, 1-6, 4-1 on No. 79 Gianluca Brunkow at the top of the lineup. Zamora is still unbeaten in his last 28 matches (20-0) against Big West opponents.
Β
At No. 2, Andy Nguyen rebounded from a first-set loss to Dominique Rolland with a dominant 6-1 win in the second. Nguyen is unbeaten in his last 15 outings where he is 12-0 with three matches that went unfinished.
Β
Max Fardanesh was also locked in a 3-6, 6-3, 3-3 tieΒ with Conrad Brown at the fifth spot when their match was abandoned.
Β
UC Irvine returns to Anteater Tennis Stadium next Saturday, April 19, when it hosts UC Davis in its regular-season finale. First serve is set for 10 a.m.
Β
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
1234
Gianluca Brunkow / 0 (79/-) [UCSB-M]
4610
614UF
#2 Singles Match
1234
Dominique Rolland / 0 [UCSB-M]
6120
461UF
#3 Singles Match
12
Lucca Liu / 0 [UCSB-M]
76
64
#4 Singles Match
12
Diogo Morais / 0 (110/-) [UCSB-M]
66
22
#5 Singles Match
1234
Conrad Brown / 0 [UCSB-M]
6330
363UF
#6 Singles Match
12
Matei Gavrea / 0 [UCSB-M]
76
61
Order of Finish:
4,3,6
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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