SANTA CLARA, Calif. - For the first time in nearly a month, the Santa Clara men's tennis team will hit the road and take on two nationally ranked foes this weekend.
The Broncos will travel to Eugene, Ore. to challenge the Cornhuskers from the University of Nebraska on Saturday and then take on the high-flying Ducks from the University of Oregon the following morning.
The Broncos
Now a month into the dual match season, Santa Clara boasts a 4-2 record overall, including a 1-1 mark competing at a neutral setting.
Ranked No. 65, Santa Clara enters this weekend's matchups fresh off a victory over Fresno State University last Saturday. Down 3-0 in the match, the Broncos won four consecutive singles matches to seal the come-from-behind victory.
Last season, the Broncos upset the then-No. 39 ranked Ducks 4-2 at the Degheri Tennis Center. The last time Santa Clara faced Nebraska was in 2010, falling 6-1 to the Cornhuskers.
Santa Clara's veterans continue to lead the squad so far this season. Playing at the No. 1 position, junior Ashot Khacharyan now holds an 11-2 record overall and an unblemished 4-0 record in dual matches. He made quick work of Fresno State's Euan McIntosh in his last singles match, 6-2, 6-3. Last year, Khacharyan defeated Oregon's Daan Maasland in straight-sets, 6-4, 6-4. Partnering with Mikheil Khmiadashvili, the duo knocked off Oregon's No. 2 pairing last year to clinch the all-important doubles point.
Playing at the No. 2 singles position, Ilya Osintsev has proved to be a reliable performer for the Broncos. The senior is 7-3 on the near and a perfect 5-0 in dual matches. Last season, the lefty came away with a gutsy 7-5, 7-6 victory over then-No. 59 ranked Robin Cambier of Oregon. One more singles victory for the Novosibirsk, Russia native will give him 58 career singles victories, good enough for No. 10 on Santa Clara's all-time singles wins list.
Fresh off clinching the match for Santa Clara against Fresno State, Khmiadashvili rolls into Oregon with a 6-2 record and 4-1 mark in dual matches.
Sam Bertram provided the Broncos with a much needed lift on Saturday against Fresno State, defeating Youssef Hassan 7-5, 6-2 to keep the Broncos' comeback attempt intact. The senior is back to .500 on the year in singles, holding an overall record of 4-4 and 3-1 in dual match play competing primarily at the No. 4 position. Bertram rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Oregon's Jayson Amos last season.
Head Coach Derek Mills needs one more victory to eclipse the 100 career win mark. Now in his eighth season, Mills has turned around the Santa Clara men's tennis program and established the Broncos as a legitimate contender year in and year out.
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are right behind the Broncos in the national rankings, coming in at No. 66 in the latest rankings release. Competing against three ranked opponents so far this season, Nebraska is 2-3 with wins over Eastern Illinois University and No. 64 University of Denver. Their losses have come at the hands of No. 25 Oklahoma State University, No. 38 Drake University and Southern Methodist University.
In their last outing, the Cornhuskers fell to the Mustangs from SMU by a score of 5-2 last Saturday.
Playing No. 1 singles, Dusty Boyer has a 2-3 record on the dual match season. The 5-foot, 10-inch junior was a First-Team All-Big Ten member last season after racking up a 16-9 mark in dual match competitions.
Behind Boyer, the Cornhuskers have enjoyed the early season performances by Vasileios Stavropoulos. The sophomore from Athens, Greece is 5-0 this dual match season competing on Court 6.
Oregon
The Ducks come in to this weekend's matches ranked No. 45 in the nation while holding a 6-3 record during the dual match season. Playing on their home courts, the Ducks enjoy a recognizable home court advantage. They are a perfect 5-0 this year and 48-12 in the last five years.
Oregon is currently suffering from a two match losing skid after falling to No. 49 University of Indiana on February 6 and No. 43 University of Louisville two days later.
To date, the Ducks have been led by freshman Simon Stevens. The Charleroi, Belgium native holds an unblemished 7-0 mark in singles play, the only Duck with an undefeated record in dual matches. Behind Stevens, the Ducks are powered by Maasland. The junior holds a 6-3 record in dual matches competing primarily at the No. 2 singles position.
The back end of Oregon's singles lineup holds a 13-0 record so far this dual match season. Stevens (7-0), Amos (1-0), Cormac Clissold (2-0) and Daniel Sardu (3-0) have not dropped a match competing in either the No. 4 or No. 5 position.
Winning the doubles point has been key to the Ducks' success this year. When they capture doubles, they are a perfect 6-0. When they drop the doubles point, they are 0-3. The No. 1 Duck pairing of Kevin Farin and Amos leads Oregon with a 6-3 record.
