MEN’S TENNIS NARROWLY EDGED BY NATIONALLY RANKED ARIZONA, 4-3

3/4/2011

Senior Marko Starcevic won at both singles and doubles during the Hornets' 4-3 loss to Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. -- With the match tied at 3-3, Arizona’s Mario Urquidi defeated Javier Millan in three sets (2-6, 7-5, 6-1) to give the 42nd-ranked Wildcats a 4-3 victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference men’s tennis match Friday morning at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.

Arizona improved to 7-5 overall, and 5-1 when playing at home. Sacramento State, which has played 10 of its 11 matches away from home this year, dropped to 4-7. Five of the Hornets’ seven losses have come against nationally ranked opposition (the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranks the top 75 teams).

Arizona began the match by winning what proved to be a very important doubles point. Sacramento State’s Aliaksandr Malko and Marko Starcevic won their match at No. 2 (8-5), but Arizona won handily at No. 1 and No. 3 to secure the doubles point.

The Wildcats and Hornets split their six singles matches as Sacramento State’s Kiryl Harbatsiuk (No. 1; 6-4, ret.), Jason Smith (No. 2; 6-3, 4-6, 6-4) and Starcevic (No. 4; 6-3, 6-7, 6-4) each won their matches. It was Starcevic’s victory which tied the match at 3-3.

Millan took the first set easily (6-2), but Urquidi sneaked by in the second set (7-5) and won easily in the third (6-1) to give Arizona the victory. The Wildcats also picked up wins from Andre Vidaller (No. 3; 6-2, 6-2) and Kieren Thompson (No. 5; 6-2, 6-2).

With his victory at No. 1, Harbatsiuk has now won nine straight singles matches after beginning the season 0-2. He is currently ranked 26th in the nation by the ITA. Smith improved to 6-4 in singles play and is currently ranked 106th (the ITA ranks the top 125 players in the country).

Sacramento State returns to the courts tomorrow morning when the team faces 56th-ranked New Mexico State in Tucson at 8 a.m. PST.

Tennis Match Results
Sacramento State vs Arizona
Mar 04, 2011 at Tuscon, Ariz.
(LaNelle Robson Tennis Center)

#42 Arizona 4, Sacramento State 3

Singles competition
1. #26 HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. Jay Goldman (UA) 6-4, retired
2. #106 SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) def. Jason Zafiros (UA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
3. Andre Vidaller (UA) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-2
4. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) def. Geoff Embry (UA) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4
5. Kieren Thompson (UA) def. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 6-2, 6-2
6. Mario Urquidi (UA) def. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Jason Zafiros/Geoff Embry (UA) def. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl/MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 8-3
2. MALKO, Aliaksandr/STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) def. Mario Urquidi/Andre Vidaller (UA) 8-5
3. Andres Carrasco/Kieren Thompson (UA) def. SMITH, Jason/LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 8-2

Match Notes:
Sacramento State 4-7
Arizona 7-5; National ranking #42
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,5,3,2,4,6)