MALKO VICTORIOUS IN HORNET DEBUT, BUT MEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO #2 USC BY A 6-1 SCORE
1/22/2011
LOS ANGELES -- USC’s Daniel Nguyen, Jaak Poldman, Ray Sarmiento, Emilio Gomez and JT Sundling each won in straight sets to lead the second-ranked Trojans to a 6-1 victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference men’s tennis match Saturday afternoon at Marks Stadium.
The match marked the season opener for both teams. USC is the two-time defending national champions, and each of its top three players are currently ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Two of the top players in the nation squared off at No. 1 singles where Nguyen, who is currently ranked 18th in the nation, defeated Sacramento State senior Kiryl Harbatsiuk by a 6-2, 6-4 score. Harbatsiuk is ranked 16th in the nation, the highest ranking ever received by a Hornet.
The lone win by a Sacramento State player came at No. 4 where sophomore Aliaksandr Malko defeated Peter Lucassen by a 6-4, 6-4 score. Malko was playing his first dual-match in a Sacramento State uniform. Junior Javier Millan (No. 5) and freshman Josh Lorentzen (No. 6) also were playing their first-ever Hornet dual match, but both players lost in straight sets.
At No. 2. Poldma (ranked 94th) defeated junior Jason Smith, 6-2, 6-0, and at No. 3, Sarmiento (ranked 91st) knocked off senior Marko Starcevic, 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles play, Sacramento State’s teams of Malko/Millan (9-7 at No. 1), Smith/Starcevic (9-7 at No. 2) and Lorentzen/Daniel Diaz (8-2) each lost.
Sacramento State’s early season schedule doesn’t get any easier as the team travels to eighth-ranked Stanford on Tuesday, Jan. 25, for a 1:30 p.m. matchup.
Tennis Match Results
Sacramento State vs USC
Jan 22, 2011 at Los Angeles, Calif.
(Marks Stadium)
#2 USC 6, Sacramento State 1
Singles competition
1. #18 Daniel Nguyen (USC) def. #16 HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-4
2. #94 Jaak Poldma (USC) def. SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-0
3. #91 Ray Sarmiento (USC) def. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) 6-1, 6-0
4. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) def. Peter Lucassen (USC) 6-4, 6-4
5. Emilio Gomez (USC) def. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-1
6. JT Sundling (USC) def. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #51 Jaak Poldma/JT Sundling (USC) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr/MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 9-7
2. Emilio Gomez/Daniel Nguyen (USC) def. SMITH, Jason/STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) 9-7
3. Ray Sarmiento/Peter Lucassen (USC) def. DIAZ, Daniel/LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 8-2
Match Notes:
Sacramento State 0-1
USC 1-0; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,3,6,5,1,4)
