SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
The UC Santa Barbara men's tennis team capped off the weekend homestand with a 6-1 victory over the University of San Francisco on Sunday. Now 4-8 on the season, the Gauchos look to be rounding into form as the spring season marches on. The Dons fall to 4-5 on the season, unable to capitalize on the early doubles point.
The Gauchos dug a quick hole for themselves, even after Joseph Guillin and Alejandro Vedri won the first of three doubles matches on court two. Alex Soto and Josh Williams looked to gain control in their match for a moment, but frustration got the best of the pair as a penalty point for unsportsmanlike conduct was the final blow in a 6-3 defeat on court three. Victor Krustev and Joseph Rotheram were unable to battle back from the strong play of the Dons on court one, losing 6-3.
The 'chos shrugged off the shaky start and played excellent tennis the rest of the way, starting with Guillin's 6-4, 6-0 victory on court one over a tough opponent in San Francisco's Ricklis. The subtle showmanship of the senior co-captain was balanced by his command on the court and the mutual respect between the two competitors after the match.
Joey Rotheram was off next; his match was filled with interesting calls on both sides but Rotheram emerged victorious in two sets, 6-4, 6-3 over Huynh. His doubles partner kept the train rolling for the Gauchos, giving them a 3-1 lead up to this point after Krustev battled back from set point to win 6-3, 7-6 on court two.
Wilhelm Saiga earned the clinching victory in three sets, his match on court five finishing just before Alejandro Vedri put the finishing touches on his match tie-breaker on the third court. Saiga's two victories in singles this weekend were a huge boost for the Gauchos, who had dropped a road contest at Indiana six days prior. Vedri has shown all season that he is a force to be reckoned with on the third court for UCSB.
Williams, the freshman from Rye, New York, is continuing to show the qualities that made him an intriguing prospect for UCSB. Visibily frustrated with himself, Williams responded well to the coaching of head coach Marty Davis and others, adapted to the trends of his opponent, and provided the closing win for the Gauchos in three hotly contested sets.
"This is a good win for us against a good team," said Saiga after the match. "For us, we feel like hopefully our darkest days are behind us, and that we can only go up from here on out. We're finding our way."
The Gauchos will face San Diego State on Saturday (11 AM) and San Diego on Sunday (1:30 PM) at the Rec Cen courts.
RESULTS
S1: Joseph Guillin def. Nitzan Ricklis 6-4, 6-0
S2: Victor Krustev def. Paul Giraud 6-3, 7-6
S3: Alejandro Vedri def. Ori Maior 6-2, 6-7, (10-5)
S4: Joseph Rotheram def. Phuc Huynh 6-4, 6-3
S5: Wilhelm Saiga def. Mitch Johnson 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
S6: Joshua Williams def. Johan Garpered 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
D1: Paul Giraud / Ori Maior def. Joseph Rotheram / Victor Krustev 6-3
D2: Alejandro Vedri / Joseph Guillin def. Mitch Johnson / Phuc Huynh 6-3
D3: Nitzan Ricklis / Johan Garpered def. Alex Soto / Joshua Williams 6-3
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,3,1) Singles (1,4,2,5,3,6)
