MEN'S TENNIS SPLITS TWO MATCHES AT BOISE STATE TOURNAMENT

3/27/2009

BOSIE, Idaho – The Sacramento State men’s tennis team was back in action for a doubleheader March 27, in the Boise State Men’s Tennis Spring Break Invitational Tournament at Boise State. The Hornets dropped the first contest to #44 Nebraska but bounced back in the afternoon to defeat South Alabama.

Sacramento State came into the tournament playing its best tennis of the year, winning its last eight matches by a combined score of 47-9. However, that streak was halted by the Cornhuskers who blanked the Hornets, 4-0, in a match that used NCAA Tournament format (competition stops once a team wins four of the seven points).

One bright spot in the loss was the return of sophomore Anton Stryhas, who had been suffering from a shoulder injury. He and doubles mate junior Kiryl Harbatsiuk were defeated by junior David Bendheim and sophomore Calin Paar 8-4 in the No. 1 doubles match.

In the second round, the Hornets came back strong and defeated USA, 5-2, to improve their record to 10-5 on the season and propel them into the finals of the West Bracket.

The second round returned to standard format and saw Sacramento State strike first by winning two of the three doubles matches. Stryhas and Harbatsiuk teamed for an 8-4 win at No. 1. The tandem of Marko Starcevic and Holden Ching added another 8-4 win to give the Hornets the point.

In singles play, Sacramento State won four of the six contests. Freshman Jason Smith continued his hot play defeating Aaron Krisan 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3. Stryhas pushed his personal winning streak to nine, by defeating Romain Bocaert 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 at No. 2.

Starcevic and Artur Klimenka also added wins in the final two spots of the ladder. Starcevic overcame a 6-3 loss to Hanno Bartsch in the first set to tie the match with a 6-3 win over his own in the second set. He then built a 5-2 lead in the decisive third set before Batsch was forced to retire. Klimenka was also pushed to three sets before prevailing, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4.

The team’s two losses in singles play both went the distance. Harbatsiuk was downed by Marek Sramek at No. 1, 6-5, 5-6, 7-6 (7-2). At No. 4, Ching and Leo Dominguez played a marathon which ended with Dominguez winning 3-6, 7- 6 (10-8), 12-10.

The Hornets wrap up the tournament Saturday, Match 28 in Boise before returning home to take on Big Sky Conference opponent Montana at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club on March 30 at 1 p.m.

#44 Nebraska 4, Sacramento State 0
Singles competition
1. #109 Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) vs. David Bendheim (NU) no result
2. Anton Stryhas (SAC) vs. Calin Paar (NU) no result
3. Christopher Aumuelle (NU) def. Jason Smith (SAC) 7-5, 6-1
4. Francois Van Impe (NU) def. Holden Ching (SAC) 6-1, 7-6
5. Hendrik Stahmer (NU) def. Marko Starcevic (SAC) 6-1, 6-2
6. Artur Klimenka (SAC) vs. Benedikt Lindheim (NU) no result
 
Doubles competition
1. David Bendheim/Calin Paar (NU) def. #45 Anton Stryhas/Kiryl
Harbatsiuk (SAC) 8-4
2. Christopher Aumuelle/Benedikt Lindheim (NU) def. Holden Ching/Marko
Starcevic (SAC) 8-5
3. Jason Smith/Artur Klimenka (SAC) vs. Hendrik Stahmer/Francois Van
Impe (NU) no result
 
 Sacramento State (9-5), Nebraska (15-2)

Sacramento State 5, South Alabama 2
Singles competition
1. Marek Sramek (USA) def. #109 Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6
(7-2)
2. Anton Stryhas (SAC) def. Romain Bocaert (USA) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
3. Jason Smith (SAC) def. Aaron Krisan (USA) 6-2, 6-1
4. Leo Dominguez (USA) def. Holden Ching (SAC) 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 12-10
5. Marko Starcevic (SAC) def. Hanno Bartsch (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 5-2,
retired
6. Artur Klimenka (SAC) def. Dauw Kruger (USA) 6-3, 0-6, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. #45 Anton Stryhas/Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) def. Romain Bocaert/Hanno
Bartsch (USA) 8-4
2. Marko Starcevic/Holden Ching (SAC) def. Leo Dominguez/Dauw Kruger
(USA) 8-4
3. Aaron Krisan/Marek Sramek (USA) def. Jason Smith/Artur Klimenka
(SAC) 8-6
 
 Sacramento State (10-5), South Alabama (7-9)