MEN'S TENNIS HANGS TOUGH BEFORE FALLING TO SAN FRANCISCO
1/28/2012
Aliaksandr Malko is one of just two returning starters on the Hornet roster in 2012.
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Sacramento State men's tennis team fell to San Francisco, 7-0, in a match which was much closer than the final score indicated, Saturday at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center at the University of Arizona. Playing with four freshmen in their lineup, the Hornets (0-2) were in all three doubles matches and took three of the six singles matches to three sets.
In doubles, the Dons (1-0) were pushed to the limit before winning all three matches. Thai Tu and William Schumacher defeated Javier Millan and Sean Kolar, 8-5, at No. 1. At No. 2, Germain Bahri and Jacob Hartwig outlasted Marek Marksoo and Roy Brandys, 9-7. The No. 3 match was forced to a tie-break before Mark DeCastro and Jonathon Knowlman downed Aliaksandr Malko and Tom Miller, 9-8 (7-5).
Bahri earned a quick, 6-0, 6-2, win at No. 3 singles over Brandys to give USF a 2-0 lead. From that point, DeCastro defeated Kolar, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4 and Schumacher bettered Millan, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 2 to clinch the victory.
At No. 1, Tu and Malko battled to three sets before Tu won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Bernardo Saraiva earned a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win over Marksoo at No. 5. With the match decided, the No. 6 match went to a super tie-break for the third set where Hartwig prevailed over Jonathan Hultkrantz, 4-6, 7-6, 10-6.
After opening up against #54 Arizona and a USF team which was in the preseason ITA poll, the schedule will not get easier for Sacramento State as it travels to 13th-ranked Cal on Feb. 8. The team's first home match will take place on Feb. 18 against Big Sky-foe Weber State.
2012 Sacramento State Tennis
San Francisco vs Sacramento State (Jan 28, 2012)
San Francisco 7, Sacramento State 0
Jan 28, 2012 at Tucson, Ariz. (LaNelle Robson Tennis Center)
