SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Playing with a full complement of players for the first time in five matches, UC Santa Barbara ended its regular season with a 5-2 road win over San Diego State on Wednesday.
The Gauchos (7-5), who were missing a trio of players due to COVID-19 protocols for their previous four matches, got back on the winning track in their final tune-up before beginning the Big West Tournament on Friday against UC Riverside.
Santa Barbara fell in all three doubles matches, but there were extenuating circumstances.
"We were a little rusty in doubles and after a four and a half hour bus ride that's not surprising," said head coach Marty Davis. "This was also the first time in three and a half weeks that our No. 1 doubles team(Stefano Tsorotiotis and Alejandro Vedri) played a match and the same for half or our No. 5 doubles (Joseph Guillin)."
After being swept in doubles, UCSB rattled off five singles victories.
Senior Joseph Guillin, making his return after missing the four matches, was first off the courts at No. 1 with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Johannes Seeman. Freshman Pablo Masjuan gave Santa Barbara a 2-1 lead with a hard fought 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 win over Rafael Gonzalez Almazan at No. 4.
Another freshman, Kai Brady, who had been playing at No. 4 in the absence of the three missing players, returned to the No. 6 slot and defeated the Aztecs' Judson Blair, 6-0, 6-7, 6-0 to make the score 3-1. Stefano Tsorotiotis, also returning for the first time in five matches, fell to Victor Castro at No. 2, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, but senior Joseph Rotheram clinched the victory for the Gauchos with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) victory over Roni Rikkonen at No. 5.
Junior Victor Krustev, who had gone 3-1 at No. 1 singles in the previous four matches, returned to the No. 3 spot and gave UCSB its final win of the afternoon, 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 over Ignacio Martinez.
"It was nice to have everyone back on the court and playing," Davis said. "This was a perfect match heading into the Big West Championship. They (the Aztecs) really pushed us in singles and I thought we needed that. We had to compete and I think that helps us for this weekend."
The third-seeded Gauchos will play No. 6 UC Riverside in the first round of the Big West Tournament at noon on Friday. This year's tournament is being played at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, a switch from the last several years when it was played at Indian Wells.
UC Santa Barbara at San Diego State
(Aztec Tennis Center)
UC Santa Barbara 5, San Diego State 2 Singles competition
1. Joseph Guillin (UCSB) def. Johannes Seeman (SDSU) 7-6, 6-4
2. Victor Castro (SDSU) def. Stefano Tsorotiotis (UCSB) 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
3. Victor Krustev (UCSB) def. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) 7-5, 4-6, 10-8
4. Pablo, Masjuan (UCSB) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
5. Joseph Rotheram (UCSB) def. Roni Rikkonen (SDSU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5)
6. Kai Brady (UCSB) def. Judson Blair (SDSU) 6-0, 6-7, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Johannes Seeman/Victor Castro (SDSU) def. Stefano Tsorotiotis/Alejandro Vedri (UCSB) 6-2
2. Judson Blair/Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) def. Victor Krustev/Joseph Rotheram (UCSB) 6-3
3. Aaro Pollanen/Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU) def. Joseph Guillin/Kai Brady (UCSB) 7-5
Records
UCSB 7-5
San Diego State 5-14
