UCSB’s Ziad Sultan battled USF’s Nils Skajaa in the only three-set singles match on Sunday. (Presidio Sports Photo)
UCSB’s men’s tennis team (6-11; Big West 1-0) suffered its sixth 4-3 loss of the season on Sunday to the visiting Univ. of San Francisco Dons (9-10) in the finale of a 10-match homestand. With the score tied at 3-all, the match came down to No. 2 singles, where junior Ziad Sultan was edged in three sets by Nils Skajaa to clinch the victory for the Dons.
“We had tons of chances and we couldn’t get it done today,” said Coach Marty Davis. “It was a frustrating loss.”
The Gauchos lost their early lead in doubles, failing to secure the doubles point for the third time in four matches. UCSB teammates Erik Johnsson and Miles Seemann were first off the court with a quick 8-2 victory against the Dons’ Tan/Brockstedt at No. 2 doubles but USF followed up with wins at courts 1 and 3 to take the 1-0 lead.
In singles play, the Gauchos’ bottom half of the lineup recorded three wins but it wasn’t enough as USF was able to take the singles matches at No. 1, 2, and 3 singles to edge UCSB 4-3.
Freshmen Teague Hamilton and Erik Johnsson won in back-to-back matches at No. 5 and 4 singles, respectively, to tie the match at 2-all after junior Tobias Galskov dropped his match at No. 1 singles.
Hamilton battled back from a set down to drop German Bahri 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 5 singles to record his eighth win in his last 10 matches and Erik Johnsson dispatched USF’s Christian Brockstedt in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 4 position for his eighth dual victory.
The Dons took a 3-2 lead after Thomas Takemoto defeated Gaucho senior Sasha Gryaznov 6-2, 7-6 at No. 3 singles but the Gauchos countered back at No. 6 singles, where junior Miles Seemann shook off a loss in the second set to beat Timothy Tan 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
With the score evened up at 3-all, attention turned to the three set battle at No. 2 singles. Junior Ziad Sultan bounced back from a loss in the first set tiebreak to take the second set 6-4 but the Dons’ Nils Skajaa outlasted the Gaucho junior to take the final set 6-2 and clinch the final point for USF.
The Gauchos will return to action next weekend when they travel to No. 75 San Diego State on Saturday for their last non-conference match of the season, beginning at 11 a.m. The Gauchos will then travel north to UC Riverside in an important conference match on Sunday. Action is set to begin at 1 p.m.
RESULTS
Univ. of San Francisco 4, UCSB 3
March 30, 2014
Rec Cen Courts (Santa Barbara, Calif.)Doubles
1. Saraiva/Skajaa (USF) def. Galskov/Sultan (UCSB) 8-3
2. Johnsson/Seemann (UCSB) def. Tan/Brockstedt (USF) 8-2
3. Bahri/Takemoto (USF) def. Hamilton/Riminton (UCSB) 8-5Singles
1. Bernardo Saraiva (USF) def. Tobias Galskov (UCSB) 6-3, 6-0
2. Nils Skajaa (USF) def. Ziad Sultan (UCSB) 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
3. Thomas Takemoto (USF) def. Sasha Gryaznov (UCSB) 6-2, 7-6
4. Erik Johnsson (UCSB) def. Christian Brockstedt (USF) 6-2, 7-5
5. Teague Hamilton (UCSB) def. Germain Bahri (USF) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Miles Seemann (UCSB) def. Timothy Tan (USF) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (1, 5, 4, 3, 6, 2)
UCSB Season Record: 6-11; Big West: 1-0
