SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Heading into the homestretch of the 2015 dual match season, the Santa Clara men's tennis team will make the quick trip to Moraga, Calif. on Friday to take on Saint Mary's College before doing battle with the University of Pacific on Saturday in Stockton, Calif.
Last season, the Broncos blanked both the Gaels and the Tigers by a score of 4-0 in the final regular season matches of the year. Dating back to 2005, Santa Clara and Saint Mary's have split the 14 matchups between the Bay Area rivals. However, the Broncos have had the Gaels number as of late, winning three out of the last four matches. During that same time span, the Broncos have handled the Tigers five times in seven chances.
The Broncos
The Broncos are 5-11 overall this season, including a record of 0-4 competing away from home. The squad will look to break a four-match losing skid when they take on the Gaels, a squad that is just one spot above Santa Clara in the WCC standings.
For much of the season, the Broncos have relied heavily on their upperclassmen in both singles and doubles action. Senior Ilya Osintsev has solidified his role as the No. 1 singles competitor for the Broncos, racking up four consecutive victories and nine wins overall during dual match play. Last season, the lefty came back to defeat Tuomas Manner from Saint Mary's 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the WCC Championships after leaving both of his regular season matches against the Gaels and Tigers unfinished.
Junior Ashot Khacharyan, playing at the No. 2 singles position in recent time, leads the team with a 15-5 record this year and is currently riding a three-match winning streak. During his freshman and sophomore years, the righty went undefeated against Tiger opponents and has one victory against the Gaels to go along with one unfinished match.
After returning from injury, Mikheil Khmiadashvili is back in action at the No. 3 singles position. The sophomore is 8-5 during dual matches but is currently suffering through a two-match losing skid. Last year, the Tbilisi, Georgia native split his matchups against Saint Mary's and did not finish his match against Pacific.
Sam Bertram enters this weekend's action with a 7-10 record overall and will look to build off last season's undefeated performances competing against the Gaels and the Tigers. In 2014, Bertram captured two three-set victories against Saint Mary's and downed his Pacific opponent handily, 6-3, 6-2.
In doubles, Khacharyan and Khmiadashvili have re-taken over at the No. 1 position, splitting their matchups against Loyola Marymount University and Pepperdine University last weekend. Playing at the No. 2 spot, Osintsev and Bertram have led the way for Santa Clara during the spring, tallying five victories.
Saint Mary's
The Gaels will welcome Santa Clara to their home courts for their Senior Day matchup on Friday. Saint Mary's is 4-13 overall this spring and 1-4 in conference play. The squad is also enduring a three-match winning streak after falling to the University of San Diego 6-1 in its last outing over the weekend.
Samuel Bloore leads the Gaels at the No. 1 singles position but the senior is just 4-11 on the year and 0-4 competing at the top singles spot. In his last bit of action, the 6-foot, 4-inch Gael fell to Filip Vittek from USD by a score of 6-3, 6-1. Thomas Hunt, playing at the No. 2 spot, has also struggled to find the win column this season, also posting four wins to go along with 11 losses.
To date, the No. 3 position for the Gaels has been the weakest spot for Saint Mary's with five Gaels combining to post a record of 2-14. However, the competitors at the No. 4 position, Saint Mary's statistically best position, have picked up the slack with seven wins.
Bloore and Hunt lead the way for the Gaels in doubles action at the No. 1 position with their 4-2 record. James Markiewicz and Martin are right behind with a 4-3 record competing primarily at the No. 2 spot. In the final doubles spot, five Gael pairings have tallied five victories and nine losses. The No. 1 and No. 3 Saint Mary's pairings both fell to USD by a score of 6-3 in the Gaels' last match.
Pacific
The Tigers enter this weekend's action with a record of 7-14 overall but are riding a three-match winning streak after taking down Gonzaga University, University of Portland and Brigham Young University in their last three outings.
Miguel Diaz, a sophomore from nearby Castro Valley, Calif., has propelled the Tigers at the No. 1 singles position as of late, taking two out of his last three matches. Alex Hamilton and Jose Chamba have predominantly split time at the No. 2 position in the past five matches. Hamilton, a 6-foot, 1-inch senior is 1-2 at the second spot in recent time while Chamba has one win under his belt to go along with one unfinished match.
Daniel Alemah, competing in the heart of the singles lineup, has highlighted Pacific's success in singles play, tallying a 3-1 record in the last five matches for the Tigers, including a 6-3, 7-6(7-1) victory over BYU last weekend.
Diaz and Chamba lead the Tigers at the top singles position but are just 1-3 in the last five matches. At the No. 2 spot, Alemah and Marlon Brand have carried the weight as of late, winning nine consecutive matches. The final doubles position for the Tiger has shifted in recent time with a number of different pairings.