MEN’S TENNIS OPENS CONFERENCE SEASON WITH A PAIR OF WINS OVER WEBER STATE AND IDAHO STATE

2/4/2011

Jason Smith won both his doubles and singles matches to help the Hornets to a road doubleheader sweep

POCATELLO, Idaho -- The Sacramento State men’s tennis team opened its Big Sky Conference portion of the season by sweeping a rare road doubleheader with victories over Weber State (5-2) and Idaho State (6-1).

The Hornets opened play in the morning by knocking off Weber State in Ogden, Utah, before hopping in a van and making the two-hour drive to Pocatello, Idaho, where the team defeated Idaho State. With the victories, Sacramento State improved to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Sky. The Hornets’ two losses this season came to teams currently ranked in the top 10 (USC and Stanford).

For the Hornets, senior Kiryl Harbatsiuk, juniors Jason Smith and Javier Millan, and freshman Josh Lorentzen each won both their singles matches today. Millan and Smith had straight-set victories in each, while Smith was perfect for the day in both singles and doubles play as he also went 2-0 in his doubles matches.

Against Weber State (0-7, 0-1), the Hornets won two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. The team then got singles victories at No. 1 (Harbatsiuk 6-3, 5-7, 6-1), No. 2 (Smith 7-6, 7-6), No. 5 (Millan 6-3, 6-2) and No. 6 (Lorentzen 6-4, 3-6, 7-5).

The match against Idaho State (0-3, 0-1) was a little closer than the score indicated as Sacramento State barely scratched out the doubles point by winning at both No. 1 (Millan/Aliaksandr Malko) and No. 2 (Smith/Marko Starcevic) via tiebreaker.

In singles play, Harbatsiuk (6-2, 6-2), Smith (6-2, 6-4), Millan (6-3, 6-3) and Lorentzen (6-4, 6-4) each won in straight sets. Malko also won in straight sets, but needed tiebreakers in each set to win.

Scores from both matches are below.

The Hornets return to action on Thursday, Feb. 10, for another road doubleheader. The team begins the day with a match against Portland at 8 a.m., followed by a matchup against Portland State at 2 p.m.

Sacramento State vs Weber State
Feb 04, 2011 at Ogden, Utah
(John Edman Tennis Courts)

Sacramento State 5, Weber State 2

Singles competition
1. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. Simon Unger (WSU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
2. SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) def. P. Ramstromer Pello (WSU) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5)
3. Landon Barlow (WSU) def. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) 6-4, 6-2
4. Ciao Poitena (WSU) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 10-7
5. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) def. Dave Hintze (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
6. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) def. Oliver Good (WSU) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. Oliver Good/Simon Unger (WSU) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr/MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) 9-7
2. STARCEVIC, Marko/HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. Landon Barlow/Dave Hintze (WSU) 8-3
3. SMITH, Jason/DeGUZMAN, Joe (SACMEN) def. Ciao Poitena/P. Ramstromer Pello (WSU) 8-4

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,1,5,2,4,6)


Sacramento State vs Idaho State
Feb 04, 2011 at Pocatello, Idaho
(Reed Gym - Indoors)

Sacramento State 6, Idaho State 1

Singles competition
1. HARBATSIUK, Kiryl (SACMEN) def. AZEVEDO,Gilberto (ISU) 6-2, 6-2
2. SMITH, Jason (SACMEN) def. BARRENECHEA,Danel (ISU) 6-2, 6-4
3. CAVALCANTI,Diego (ISU) def. STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-4
4. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) def. GROSS,Nate (ISU) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1)
5. MILLAN, Javier (SACMEN) def. BUCKINGHAM,Dan (ISU) 6-3, 6-3
6. LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) def. AZEVEDO,Rodrigo (ISU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. MILLAN, Javier/MALKO, Aliaksandr (SACMEN) def. AZEVEDO,Gilberto/CAVALCANTI,Diego (ISU) 9-8 (9-7)
2. SMITH, Jason/STARCEVIC, Marko (SACMEN) def. AZEVEDO,Rodrigo/BARRENECHEA,Danel (ISU) 9-8 (9-7)
3. PATE,Colton/GROSS,Nate (ISU) def. DeGUZMAN, Joe/LORENTZEN, Josh (SACMEN) 8-3

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,2,4,3,5,6)