SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The No. 43 Bronco men's tennis team took on University of San Francisco in a highly charged match on Friday, and it showed its mettle by defeating the hosts, 6-1. Santa Clara continued its scorching streak by winning its eighth consecutive match, once again in lopsided fashion.
After a day to rest, Santa Clara will square off against St. John's of New York. The contest will take place on Sun., Mar. 9 at 10am on the Mission Campus.
The Broncos improved to 9-1 during the 2014 season and 2-0 in WCC play. The team is 6-0 at home, 2-1 on the road, and 1-0 on neutral sites. Santa Clara is 3-1 against ranked opponents.
The Broncos faced a challenging opponent in USF, but emerged victorious in the tightly-contested matchup. The teams got started with doubles, and Santa Clara struck first by securing the No. 1 and No. 2 matches.
In the second spot, Sam Bertram and Ashot Khacharyan netted the first Bronco victory with a strong performance, earning an 8-3 win. The duo sports a 7-1 dual match mark and 9-2 overall record.
After being named WCC Doubles Team of the Week, John Lamble and Ilya Osintsev backed it up against Nils Skajaa and Bernardo Saraiva, 2013 All-WCC First Team honorees. The Bronco duo won 8-4 and they are 8-0 in dual matches.
Lamble and Osintsev have won 14 of 15 matches and 13 straight dual matches dating back to last season. Santa Clara's righty-lefty combo also defeated the USF tandem twice in 2013.
With the doubles point decided, USF's 7-4 lead gave them a win in the No. 3 doubles position.
The Broncos had been 8-0 when winning the doubles point, and they continued that trend by taking care of the Dons in singles. John Lamble had a long match, but would go on to win in three sets 3-6, 6-4, (10-8). The Saratoga, Calif. native is 7-0 during the regular season and 14-3 including the fall.
Ilya Osintsev dropped the first set 4-6 but rebounded with a vengeance, dominating 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the team win and his 12th individual win on the season. Like his doubles partner, Osintsev is a perfect 7-0 in singles play and is tied with Lamble for longest current dual match winning streak.
In the No. 4 slot, Mikheil Khmiadashvili commanded his match in a dominating 6-1, 6-3 final. The freshman from Tbilisi, Georgia won his sixth consecutive contest and has made an immediate impact in his freshman year.
Sam Bertram picked up a straight set 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 5. The junior transfer upped his record to 8-2 and 5-0 in duals.
Coming off his first NCAA victory, Jesse Ross didn't wait around to add another, winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 for his second straight win. After taking the first set 6-4, Ross came up just short in a second-set tiebreaker. He didn't let that slow him down, however, recovering nicely in the decisive set.
The Dons recorded their only point at No. 3 singles, as Ashot Khacharyan fell in a difficult three set contest. The final score was 6-1, 0-6, 6-1 in favor of USF, and the loss snapped Khacharyan's seven match winning streak.
Santa Clara has won eight consecutive victories for the first time since the 2012 season. The team is off to its best start in over a decade.
Be sure to check back on SantaClaraBroncos.com for more on the No. 43 men's tennis team and its upcoming matches! Stay up to date with Santa Clara men's tennis on Facebook and Twitter. Go Broncos!
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Position |
Santa Clara University |
Univ. of San Francisco |
Winner |
Score |
|
#1 Singles |
Santa Clara University |
3-6, 6-4, (10-8) |
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|
#2 Singles |
Santa Clara University |
4-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
||
|
#3 Singles |
Univ. of San Francisco |
6-1, 0-6, 6-1 |
||
|
#4 Singles |
Santa Clara University |
6-1, 6-3 |
||
|
#5 Singles |
Santa Clara University |
6-4, 6-4 |
||
|
#6 Singles |
Santa Clara University |
6-4, 6-7, 6-3 |
||
|
#1 Doubles |
Santa Clara University |
8-4 |
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|
#2 Doubles |
Santa Clara University |
8-3 |
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|
#3 Doubles |
Univ. of San Francisco |
7-4 |