MEN’S TENNIS DEFEATS BALL STATE, WINS FOR THE 10TH TIME IN 11 MATCHES

3/28/2009

BOISE, Idaho - Sacramento State won five of the six singles matches, including straight set victories by Kiryl Harbatsiuk, Jason Smith, Artur Klimenka and Jimmy Roberts, to defeat Ball State, 6-1, in the third and final round of the Boise State Tennis Spring Break Invitational Saturday morning at the Appleton Tennis Center.

With the victory, Sacramento State, which fell to Nebraska and defeated South Alabama yesterday, completed the tournament with a 2-1 record. The Hornets (11-5) have now won 10 of their last 11 matches, and eight of those 10 victories have by 5-2, 6-1 or 7-0 scores. The loss dropped Ball State to 9-8 overall and 1-2 at the tournament.

Despite playing the singles portion of today’s match without reigning Big Sky Conference MVP Anton Stryhas (injury), the Hornets were able to win five of the six singles matches. Harbatsiuk won at No. 1 (7-5, 6-1), Smith at No. 2 (6-2, 6-2), Marko Starcevic at No. 4 (4-6, 7-5, 10-7 in the super tiebreaker), Klimenka at No. 5 (6-4, 6-2) and Roberts at No. 6 (6-4, 7-5). The only loss suffered today by the Hornets came at No. 3 where Holden Ching fell to Ball State’s Cliff Morrison by the score of 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Sacramento State won two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point as the tandems of Ching/Starcevic (8-3) and Klimenka/Smith (8-3) were each victorious.

Both Starcevic and Harbatsiuk have won now nine of their last 10 singles matches, Smith has won eight of his last 10, and Klimenka has won four in a row.

Sacramento State returns to the courts in two days as the team hosts Big Sky rival Montana on Monday, March 30, at 1 p.m. The match will be played at the Spare Time Indoor Tennis Center. The Hornets are 4-0 against Big Sky competition this season and have won each of those matches by 6-1 or 7-0 scores.

Sacramento State 6, Ball State 1

Singles competition
1. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SAC) def. Eduardo Pavia (BALL) 7-5, 6-1
2. SMITH, Jason (SAC) def. Jose Perdomo (BALL) 6-2, 6-2
3. Cliff Morrison (BALL) def. CHING, Holden (SAC) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
4. STARCEVIC, Marko (SAC) def. Andres Monroy (BALL) 4-6, 7-5, 10-7
5. KLIMENKA, Artur (SAC) def. Jorge Rodriguez (BALL) 6-4, 6-2
6. ROBERTS, Jimmy (SAC) def. Derek Carpenter (BALL) 6-4, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. Eduardo Pavia/Jorge Rodriguez (BALL) def. STRYHAS, Anton/HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SAC) 8-0
2. CHING, Holden/STARCEVIC, Marko (SAC) def. Derek Carpenter/Jose Perdomo (BALL) 8-3
3. KLIMENKA, Artur/SMITH, Jason (SAC) def. Andres Monroy/Zane Smith (BALL) 8-3