INDIAN WELLS – Playing at No. 6, Sebastian Bell battled back to edge UC Santa Barbara’s Max Glenn in an epic championship-deciding match, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), giving Cal Poly the victory in the league’s championship match, 4-3.
The tide turned in the Mustangs favor early as they claimed the doubles point. They posted an easy 8-2 victory at No. 1, but had to battle for the win. At No. 3 as Jurgen DeJager and Marco Comuzzo defeated Ziad Sultan and Sasha Gryaznov by a narrow 8-6 count.
The singles contests were played out.
At No. 1, Andrew Dome swept Mathieu Forget, 6-3, 6-1, to give his team a 2-0 lead.
The Gauchos tied the score in the match with wins at No. 5 and No. 3.
At No. 5, Gryaznov topped Comuzzo, 6-4, 6-2. At No. 3, it was Mbonisi Ndimande squashing Jordan Bridge, 6-3, 6-4.
With the score at 2-2, the Mustangs’ DeJager defeated Sultan at No. 4, 6-2, 6-4, to give his team at 3-2 edge.
UCSB’s Benjamn Recknagel, playing at No. 2, pulled the Gauchos into a tie at 3-3 with a win at No. 2. Recknagel edged Matt Fawcett in three sets, 6-1 4-6, 6-2.
Everything came down to the match at No. 6 between Bell and Glenn.
“Once again, Max was the last man standing,” said UCSB head coach Marty Davis. “This was an epic match. We were on the court for almost five hours. We had our chances.”
UCSB is now 14-10 on the season.
CAL POLY 4, UCSB 3
SINGLES:
No. 1 – Andre Dome (CP) d. Mathieu Forget (UCSB) – 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 – Benjamin Recknagel (UCSB) d. Matt Fawcett (CP) – 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
No. 3 – Mbonisi Ndimande (UCSB) d. Jordan Bridge (CP) – 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 – Jurgen DeJager (CP) d. Ziad Sultan (UCSB) – 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 – Sasha Gryaznov (UCSB) d. Marco Comuzzo (CP) – 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 – Sebastian Bell (CP) d. Max Glenn (UCSB) – 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3)DOUBLES:
No. 1 – Dome/Fawcett (CP) d. Forget/Recknagel (UCSB) – 8-2
No. 2 – Ndimande/Alex Johnson (UCSB) vs. Bridge/Bell (CP) – DNF
No. 3 – DeJanger/Comuzzo (CP) d. Sultan/Gryaznov (UCSB) – 8-6
