California Golden Bears Athletics

BERKELEY – For the second straight day at the Hellman Tennis Complex, No. 40 Cal lost the doubles point against a strong Los Angeles opponent, battled back to win twice in singles and ultimately lost, 4-2. On Saturday, the Golden Bears fell at home to No. 14/19 UCLA.
 
The loss (coupled with the Bears' 4-2 loss to USC on Friday) evened Cal's record at 9-9 and 2-2 in the Pac-12. The Bruins improved to 10-4 (3-0 Pac-12).
 
UCLA clinched its win when the 92nd-ranked Maxime Cressy survived a few match points against Cal freshman Yuta Kikuchi and eventually prevailed, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-1.
 
The Bruins' secured the doubles point when Bryce Pereira and Patrick Zahraj defeated Kikuchi and Ben Draper, 6-4, on court three.
 
UCLA forged a 3-1 lead by winning two of the first three completed singles matches, capped by the 80th-ranked Keegan Smith topping Cal sophomore Jack Molloy, 6-4, 7-6(1), on court two. Draper had earned Cal's first point with a win over Ben Goldberg on court five, 7-6(5), 6-3.
 
Cal junior Bjorn Hoffmann pulled the Bears back within one of the Bruins – at 3-2 – when he knocked off Zahraj on court four, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.
 
But then, with Cal junior Mert Zincirli trailing in the third set on court six, the court-one result ended the match.
 
"Our team is getting stronger, and we're at the point in the season where small improvements make big differences," said Peter Wright, Cal's Director of Men's Tennis. "Many, if not all, of the things we need to improve are in our control. We're competitive in every match against the best teams in the country, and now it's our responsibility to take better ownership of the things we control."
 
Cal next plays at Utah on April 6.
 
No. 14/19 UCLA (10-4, 3-0 Pac-12) defeated No. 40 Cal (9-9, 2-2 Pac-12), 4-2
March 30, 2019, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. No. 36 Maxime Cressy/Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. No. 79 Paul Barretto/Can Kaya (Cal), 6-4
2. Govind Nanda/Connor Rapp (UCLA) vs. Jack Molloy/Mert Zincirli (Cal), 5-4 DNF
3. Bryce Pereira/Patrick Zahraj (UCLA) def. Yuta Kikuchi/Ben Draper (Cal), 6-4*
 
UCLA won the doubles point
Order of Finish: 1, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 92 Maxime Cressy (UCLA) def. Yuta Kikuchi (Cal), 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-1^
2. No. 80 Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. Jack Molloy (Cal), 6-4, 7-6(1)
3. No. 35 Govind Nanda (UCLA) def. Paul Barretto (Cal), 6-3, 6-2
4. Bjorn Hoffmann (Cal) def. Patrick Zahraj (UCLA), 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
5. Ben Draper (Cal) def. Ben Goldberg (UCLA), 7-6(5), 6-3
6. No. 100 Mathew Tsolakyan (UCLA) vs. Mert Zincirli (Cal), 7-5, 4-6, 3-0 DNF
 
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 2, 4, 1^
^Clinched the overall match