MEN’S TENNIS SEASON ENDS WITH NCAA TOURNAMENT LOSS AT STANFORD

5/12/2012

STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford’s Bradley Klahn, John Morrissey and Daniel Ho each posted straight-set victories to lead the 11th-ranked Cardinal to a 4-0 victory over Sacramento State in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament Saturday afternoon at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

Sacramento State, which concludes its season with an 11-13 record, was making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 14 years. The Hornets earned an automatic berth into the postseason event after winning the Big Sky Conference Tournament last month.

Stanford, who is ranked 11th in the nation and drew the No. 11 seed in the 64-team tournament field, improved to 18-8. The Cardinal will now take on Santa Clara (22-5) in the second round of the tournament tomorrow at noon. Santa Clara defeated Texas earlier today, 4-1, to advance to the second round.

The Hornets and Cardinal were facing each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time (1999, 2002, 2009, 2012), with Stanford coming out on each of those occasions.

In today’s match, the Cardinal, who have a pair of players ranked among the top 40 in the nation, won two of the three doubles matches to earn the point and take a 1-0 lead.

Klahn (6-0, 6-2 at No. 1), Morrissey (6-0, 6-0 at No. 3) and Ho (6-0, 6-2 at No. 4) were each victorious in singles play to give Stanford the victory. Klahn is ranked 36th in the nation.

Sacramento State used the following singles lineup - No. 1 Aliaksandr Malko, No. 2 Marek Marksoo, No. 3 Javier Millan, No. 4 Sean Kolar, No. 5 Roy Brandys and No. 6 Tom Miller. Marksoo, Kolar, Brandys and Miller are all freshmen. In fact, the Hornets used four freshmen in the team’s singles lineup in every match this season.

Sacramento State was making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance (1999, 2001-03, 2007, 2009-12) since joining the Div. I ranks in 1992. In addition, the team has won 10 Big Sky Tournament titles in the last 15 years (1998-99, 2001-03, 2007, 2009-12).

Sacramento State vs Stanford
May 12, 2012 at Stanford, Calif.
(Taube Family Tennis Stadium)

#11 Stanford 4, Sacramento State 0

Singles competition
1. #36 Bradley Klahn (STAN) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SAC) 6-0, 6-2
2. #29 Ryan Thacher (STAN) vs. MARKSOO, Marek (SAC) unfinished
3. John Morrissey (STAN) def. MILLAN, Javier (SAC) 6-0, 6-0
4. Daniel Ho (STAN) def. KOLAR, Sean (SAC) 6-0, 6-2
5. Robert Stineman (STAN) vs. BRANDYS, Roy (SAC) unfinished
6. Denis Lin (STAN) vs. MILLER, Tom (SAC) unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Denis Lin/Ryan Thacher (STAN) def. MARKSOO, Marek/MILLAN, Javier (SAC) 8-1
2. Bradley Klahn/John Morrissey (STAN) def. KOLAR, Sean/MILLER, Tom (SAC) 8-1
3. Jamin Ball/Robert Stineman (STAN) vs. BRANDYS, Roy/MALKO, Aliaksandr (SAC) unfinished

Match Notes:
Sacramento State 11-13
Stanford 18-8; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,4,3)