HARBATSIUK BEATS 22ND RANKED PLAYER, BUT MEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO NO. 6 PEPPERDINE

4/9/2011

Senior Kiryl Harbatsiuk won his 21st straight singles match and improved to 21-2 this season

MALIBU, Calif. -- Sacramento State senior Kiryl Harbatsiuk won his 21st consecutive singles match, but it was not enough as the Hornets fell, 6-1, to sixth-ranked Pepperdine in a non-conference men’s tennis match Saturday afternoon at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.

Harbatsiuk, who is ranked 31st in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, defeated 22nd-ranked Sebastian Fanselow, 6-4, 5-7 and 10-8 in the super tiebreaker. Harbatsiuk’s 21-match winning streak is now four wins shy of his school-record winning streak of 25, set last season.

Pepperdine (18-4) received straight-set victories from the team’s Nos. 2-6 singles players, including 62nd-ranked Alex Llompart beating Jason Smith (6-0, 6-3) and 114th-ranked Alfredo Moreno knocking off Marko Starcevic by a 6-3, 6-2 score.

Pepperdine marked the eighth ranked opponent Sacramento State has faced this year. The ITA ranks the top 75 teams, and Pepperdine was the second highest foe the Hornets have played. Sacramento State dropped to 12-11 with the loss, which includes an 0-8 record against ranked teams and 12-3 against unranked opposition.

Behind the strength of two ranked doubles teams, the Waves also swept each of the three doubles matches to earn the point. Harbatsiuk and Starcevic nearly won at No. 1, but fell in a tiebreaker to 54th-ranked Sebastian Fanselow and Jenson Turner.

The Hornets complete their three road matches in three days spurt tomorrow when they travel to Cal Poly for a match at noon.

#6 Pepperdine 6, Sacramento State 1

Singles competition
1. #31 HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. #22 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)
2. #62 Alex Llompart (PEP) def. SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) 6-0, 6-3
3. #114 Alfredo Moreno (PEP) def. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) 6-3, 6-2
4. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) def. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 6-4, 6-4
5. Alejandro Moreno (PEP) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) 6-1, 6-1
6. Daniel Moss (PEP) def. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 6-1, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. #54 Sebastian Fanselow/Jenson Turner (PEP) def. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl/STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) 8-7 (7-2)
2. #52 Alfredo Moreno/Alex Llompart (PEP) def. SMITH, Jason/MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) 8-5
3. Hugh Clarke/Stuart Keplar (PEP) def. MILLAN, Javier/LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 8-3

Match Notes:
Sacramento State 12-11
Pepperdine 18-4; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,5,6,4,1)