MEN'S TENNIS ROUTS UC DAVIS, 6-1; RETAKES CAUSEWAY CUP LEAD

1/31/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Anton Stryhas, Kiryl Harbatsiuk, Jason Smith, Marko Starcevic and Holden Ching each picked up wins in singles and doubles as the Sacramento State men's tennis team cruised to a 6-1 win over UC Davis, Sunday afternoon at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club.

The victory improved the Hornets to 3-2 on the season and gave the team its third win in a two-day span. Sacramento State also earned its fourth consecutive win over the Aggies (2-2) and has outscored UCD 22-6 in that span. The team also picked up five points in the Causeway Cup which gave Sacramento State a 37.5-33.67 lead over UC Davis.

The Hornets began the contest by sweeping all three doubles matches. Smith and Ching combined for an 8-1 win over Nic Amaroli and Tyler Lee at No. 2. Sacramento State then secured the doubles point when Tim Lantin and Starcevic blanked Toki Sherbakov and Connor Coates, 8-0, at No. 3. The No. 1 match was also lopsided with Harbatsiuk and Stryhas defeating Nick Lopez and Hunter Lee, 8-1.

All six singes matches were decided in straight sets. Smith, a Davis, Calif., native, struck first at No. 3 with a 7-5, 6-2, win over Sherbakov. Hasrbatsiuk made the score 3-0 in favor of Sacramento State with a 6-0, 6-3, victory over Chris Aria at No. 2. The deciding point of the match came from Starcevic at No. 4 where he downed Lee, 6-2, 6-1.

Ching continued the Hornet run with a 6-3, 6-2, win over Lee at No. 5. UC Davis' lone point of the match came from Coates at No. 6 who outlasted Lantin, 7-5, 6-2. Stryhas closed out the contest with a 6-2, 6-4, victory at No. 1 against Lopez.

Sacramento State will next compete in a pair of matches in Tulsa, Okla., on Feb. 5 and 6. The Hornets open against 35th-ranked Tulsa on Friday before taking on 24th-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday. The two matches are part of a stretch which will see Sacramento State play its next 11 contests away from home before taking on UC Riverside on Mar. 22 at Rio Del Oro.

Sacramento State 6, UC Davis 1
Singles competition
1. STRYHAS, Anton (SAC) def. Lopez, Nick (UCD) 6-2, 6-4
2. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SAC) def. Aria, Chris (UCD) 6-0, 6-3
3. SMITH, Jason (SAC) def. Sherbakov, Toki (UCD) 7-5, 6-2
4. STARCEVIC, Marko (SAC) def. Lee, Hunter (UCD) 6-2, 6-1
5. CHING, Holden (SAC) def. Lee, Tyler (UCD) 6-3, 6-2
6. Coates, Connor (UCD) def. LANTIN, Tim (SAC) 7-5, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl/STRYHAS, Anton (SAC) def. Lopez, Nick/Lee, Hunter (UCD) 8-1
2. SMITH, Jason/CHING, Holden (SAC) def. Amaroli, Nic/Lee, Tyler (UCD) 8-1
3. LANTIN, Tim/STARCEVIC, Marko (SAC) def. Sherbakov, Toki/Coates, Connor (UCD) 8-0

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