MEN’S TENNIS SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER, DEFEATS UC RIVERSIDE BUT FALLS TO PACIFIC

3/26/2011

Junior Javier Millan won both singles matches today and has now won six straight singles competitions

GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- The Sacramento State men’s tennis team split a non-conference doubleheader today at the Spare Time Indoor Tennis Center, defeating UC Riverside by a 6-1 score before falling to Pacific, 4-3.

Both matches were originally scheduled to be played at Rio Del Oro Racquet Club, but had to be moved indoors to avoid the rain-drenched Sacramento outdoors.

With the split, the Hornets moved their record to 9-9 this season. Sacramento State had won five straight prior to the loss to Pacific. UC Riverside dropped to 2-14 with the loss, and Pacific improved to 7-7 with the victory. The Hornets had also won five straight matches at home prior to the loss against the Tigers.

Sacramento State’s Kiryl Harbatsiuk, Marko Starcevic and Javier Millan each won both their singles matches today and improved their winning streaks. Harbatsiuk, who is ranked 29th in the nation, has now won 16 straight singles matches while Millan (six straight) and Starcevic (five straight) also have lengthy winning streaks.

In the Hornets’ first match of the day against UC Riverside, Harbatsiuk, Jason Smith, Starcevic, Millan and Daniel Diaz were each victorious in straight sets. Sacramento State also received victories from the tandems of Smith/Aliaksandr Malko (8-4 at No. 1) and Millan/Josh Lorentzen (8-4 at No. 2) to secure the doubles point. Malko was making his first appearance since March 11 as the sophomore had missed the previous three matches with an ankle injury.

The loss to Pacific was one the Hornets could have just as easily won. Sacramento State and Pacific split the first two doubles matches, and the Hornets looked to be in control of winning the doubles point as Smith and Malko led, 6-1, in the tiebreaker against Pacific’s Arten Gramma and Alex Golding at No. 2. However, Gramma/Golding saved five straight match points and eventually won the tiebreaker by a 12-10 score.

The doubles point won by Pacific loomed large as the Tigers and Hornets split the six singles matches. Sacramento State received victories from Harbatsiuk (6-3, 6-3), Starcevic (6-4, 7-6) and Millan (6-2, 6-2). All six singles matches were decided in straight sets.

Sacramento State concludes its season-long seven-match homestand tomorrow against Big Sky Conference rival Northern Arizona at 1 p.m. Weather permitting, the match will be played outdoors at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club. The Hornets (5-0 in league) and Lumberjacks (2-0 in league) are the lone remaining teams in the Big Sky with undefeated conference records.

Sacramento State 6, UC Riverside 1

Singles competition
1. #29 HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. Quoc Doan (UCR) 6-2, 6-0
2. SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) def. Austin Andres (UCR) 7-5, 6-4
3. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) def. Ryan Stanbury (UCR) 6-1, 6-1
4. Michael Conroy (UCR) def. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
5. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) def. Kevin Griffin (UCR) 6-4, 6-3
6. DIAZ, Daniel (SACMEN) def. Sean Peterson (UCR) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6)

Doubles competition
1. SMITH, Jason/MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) def. Michael Conroy/Quoc Doan (UCR) 8-4
2. MILLAN, Javier/LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) def. Kevin Griffin/Ryan Stanbury (UCR) 8-4
3. Raineir Matias/Austin Andres (UCR) def. EMERY, Blake/DeGUZMAN, Joe (SACMEN) 8-6

Match Notes:
UC Riverside 2-14
Sacramento State 9-8
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,2,5,4,6)

Pacific 4, Sacramento State 3

Singles competition
1. #29 HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. Tomasz Krzyszkowski (PAC) 6-3, 6-3
2. Artem Gramma (PAC) def. SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) 6-0, 6-0
3. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) def. Ivan Castro (PAC) 6-4, 7-6 (7-0)
4. Fernando Ristow (PAC) def. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-1
5. Alex Golding (PAC) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-2
6. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) def. Lance Dugan (PAC) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl/STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) def. Ivan Castro/Lance Dugan (PAC) 8-4
2. Artem Gramma/Alex Golding (PAC) def. SMITH, Jason/MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) 9-8 (12-10)
3. Fernando Ristow/Tomasz Krzyszkowski (PAC) def. LORENTZEN, Josh/MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 8-4

Match Notes:
Pacific 7-7
Sacramento State 9-9
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,4,1,6,5,3)