PHOENIX, Ariz.— After opening the 2018-2019 season with a 7-0 win over Ottawa-Arizona, the UC Riverside Men's Tennis Team went right back to work the next day competing in its first double-header. The Highlanders began the day falling 7-0 to Grand Canyon, but would redeem themselves later in the day defeating Arizona Christian 7-0.
GRAND CANYON
The Highlanders began the day taking on GCU in the doubles round where the team had a good start in doubles, but could not pull through in the singles round taking its first loss 7-0.
"We played great doubles," Head Coach Mattias Johansson. "We had a chance to take the doubles point but couldn't hold on to secure the win. As a result I think we lost some momentum heading into singles. We have to do a better job hanging in every point to break down our opponents if we want to beat a great team."
The Antelopes took the first doubles match on court two, but the Highlanders would answer on court three as the team of sophomore
Vignesh Subramanyan and freshman
Andreas Whelan-Merediz took the match 7-5. The duo of senior
Kyle McCann and sophomore Fillip Engstrom battled on court one but ultimately fell 7-6.
In singles play, Whelan-Merediz took a 1-0 lead winning the first set 7-5, but Freddie Grant of GCU would battle back to take the next two sets. The Antelopes would grab the other matches to take it 7-0.
UCR would look to bounce back at Arizona Christian.
ARIZONA CHRISTIAN
UC Riverside would earn its second sweep of the season later in the day as the Highlanders topped Arizona Christian 7-0. The team would win eight of nine contests and forfeit just two sets through the entire match.
"Our guys had a short memory today which was great to see," Johansson said. "Overall we did a much better job fighting to take down their opponents on each court. Hopefully this give us some momentum heading into the last match of the trip tomorrow."
The Firestorm earned their only match of day in doubles to take a 1-0 lead, but UCR would quickly flip the script taking wins on courts two and three. Subramanayn and Whelan-Merediz earned their third straight victory as a pair 6-1 and the team of juniors
Nabil Abdallah and
Gilbert Chung took a 6-3 win on court two.
The Highlanders quickly turned their 1-0 lead into a 7-0 sweep earning five straight set wins in singles play.
Whelan-Merediz was the first off the courts taking a court six win 6-0, 6-0 and Chung followed just behind his teammate taking court three 6-3, 6-2. Up 3-0 in the overall match, McCann would seal the victory earning a 6-3, 6-1 win on court one.
Chung and Ramirez would add their second wins of the season and Engstrom saw his first piece of singles action defeating his opponent in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 10-7.
UC Riverside will now return home for its home opener this Friday as the Highlanders host Air Force.
