UC Irvine
No. 53 Cal Poly Overcomes Early Deficit, Outduels No. 72 UC Irvine
4/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – One deficit and two ties were both part of another victory over a ranked foe during a marathon battle won by the 53rd-ranked Cal Poly men's tennis team against No. 72 UC Irvine, 4-2 on Friday afternoon at Mustang Courts. On the opening day of alumni weekend, Cal Poly sophomore Ben Donovan clinched the victory for the Mustangs with a three-set win over Sebastian Heim at No. 1 (6-3, 4-6, 6-3).
Cal Poly improved to 8-2 at home this season and more importantly, 2-0 in Big West Conference play and collected its fourth consecutive win overall. The Anteaters dropped their first conference match of the season on Friday, falling to 2-1.
Cal Poly's Donovan and Pang improved to 13-2 when paired together this season (including four straight wins), after their 6-2 decision over Jonathan Hammel and Tyler Pham in the first position. UC Irvine would then collect the next two doubles matchups, including a 6-3 win from Johnathan Poon and Justin Agbayani over senior Devin Barber and sophomore Garrett Auproux. With doubles knotted at one apiece, the Cal Poly freshman tandem of Lucas Lesoeur and Karl Enander forced a tiebreak at No. 3, but fell 7-5 to Sebastian Heim and Nico Mertens.
After falling behind, the Mustangs battled back and won the first two singles matches of the afternoon, including a straight set (7-5, 6-1) victory by senior Naveen Beasley over Rafael Davidian in the fifth position. Pang then collected a two-set win (6-3, 7-5) over Pham at No. 3 to provide the Mustangs their first lead, one they would not relinquish.
Pang won his fourth singles match overall and improved to 8-5 in the third position, while Beasley also captured his fourth straight victory and upped his season record to 8-2 at No. 5.
The Anteaters tied the match at two after a three-set win (1-6, 6-3, 6-4) from Hammel over Cal Poly freshman Axel Damiens at No. 6. The Mustangs' Auproux ousted Nico Mertens in come-from-behind fashion (2-6, 6-3, 6-4) in the second spot, setting the table for Donovan's clincher. Auproux boasts an impressive 12-4 mark at No. 2 this season and has won eight out his last nine singles matches overall.
Cal Poly's Donovan (pictured) – who improved to 17-11 this season and 12-6 in the first position – grabbed the first set against Heim at No. 1, 6-3, then fell 4-6 in the second, providing a winner-take-all scenario for the Mustangs. With Cal Poly leading the overall match, 3-2, Donovan collected the third set, 6-3, cementing the win for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly (13-7) hosts UC Riverside at 2 p.m. Saturday as Mustang Tennis Alumni Weekend resumes. On Saturday, a pre-match tailgate begins at 11 a.m. and is sponsored by Ernie Ball Guitars (prior registration is required). Following the match with the Highlanders, the Cal Poly men's and women's tennis year-end banquet will take place at 6 p.m.
Attendance at Mustang Courts is free.
Singles
1. Ben Donovan (CP) def. Sebastian Heim (UCI) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
2. Garrett Auproux (CP) def. Nico Mertens (UCI) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Corey Pang (CP) def. Tyler Pham (UCI) 6-3, 7-5
4. Lucas Lesoeur (CP) vs. Shuhei Shibahara (UCI) 5-7, 6-3, unfinished
5. Naveen Beasley (CP) def. Rafael Davidian (UCI) 7-5, 6-1
6. Jonathan Hammel (UCI) def. Axel Damiens (CP) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. Ben Donovan/Corey Pang (CP) def. Jonathan Hammel/Tyler Pham (UCI) 6-2
2. Justin Agbayani/Jonathan Poon (UCI) def. Devin Barber/Garrett Auproux (CP) 6-3
3. Sebastian Heim/Nico Mertens (UCI) def. Lucas Lesoeur/Karl Enander (CP) 7-5
