SALT LAKE CITY – Forty-sixth-ranked California got back on track in the rugged Pac-12 Conference, winning 4-2 over Utah on Saturday at the Eccles Tennis Center. Cal junior Mert Zincirli clinched the victory with a 7-5, 7-6 win over Joe Woolley.
 
The win snapped a two-match losing streak for the Golden Bears, who improved to 10-9 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. Utah has a 15-8 record (1-4 Pac-12).

The Utes clinched the doubles point when Woolley and Russel Benkaim topped Zincirli and Jack Molloy, 6-4, on court three to take a 1-0 lead into singles.
 
Cal sophomore Ben Draper tied the match, 1-1, with his 6-3, 6-1 result over Benkaim at court-four singles.
 
A Utah win on court one temporarily gave the lead back the home team at 2-1.
 
But the Bears reeled off three straight wins – with Paul Barretto beating Slava Shainyan, 6-2, 7-5, and Bjorn Hoffmann defeating Mathias Gavelin, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 – capped by Zincirli's court-six triumph to complete Cal's victory.
 
"Utah is a very good team, and they put us on our heels by taking the doubles point," said Peter Wright, Cal's Director of Men's Tennis. "Our guys stayed calm and stuck to our plan, and that gave us the opportunity to come away with the victory today. We have a very quick turnaround before our last two home matches of the year this week, starting with UCSB on Monday and Stanford on Saturday."

Saturday was a difficult day for the men's tennis program, with the passing of former Cal head coach Bill Wright earlier in the day. Bill Wright coached the Bears - including current Cal boss Peter Wright - from 1974-86 and posted a record of 241-123.

"Bill was my coach, mentor and friend," said Peter Wright. "He touched so many lives through his humor, energy and willingness to explore new ideas. Every day with Bill was filled with his enthusiasm for life, and the unpredictable journey of discovery that he brought us on. His legacy is that the people he interacted with always felt enriched by the experience. I owe much of my growth as a person, player and coach to the impact Bill had on my life."

Cal briefly returns to nonconference action when it hosts UC Santa Barbara on Monday at 2 p.m. at the Hellman Tennis Complex. The Bears then play their last home regular-season match against Stanford in part two of the Big Slam on April 13 at 1 p.m.
  
No. 46 Cal (10-9, 3-2 Pac-12) defeated Utah (15-8, 1-4 Pac-12), 4-2
April 6, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah
Eccles Tennis Center
 
Doubles
1. Slava Shainyan/David Micevski (Utah) def. No. 17 Jacob Brumm/Yuta Kikuchi (Cal), 6-3
2. Dan Little/Hankuliyev (Utah) vs. Paul Barretto/Can Kaya (Cal), 5-5 Unfinished
3. Joe Woolley/Russell Benkaim (Utah) def. Jack Molloy/Mert Zincirli (Cal), 6-4*
 
Utah won the doubles point
Order of Finish: 1, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 54 Dan Little (Utah) def. Yuta Kikuchi (Cal), 6-4, 6-2
2. David Micevski (Utah) vs. Jack Molloy (Cal), 7-6, 5-5 Unfinished   
3. Paul Barretto (Cal) def. Slava Shainyan (Utah), 6-2, 7-5
4. Ben Draper (Cal) def. Russell Benkaim (Utah), 6-3, 6-1
5. Bjorn Hoffmann (Cal) def. Mathias Gavelin (Utah), 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
6. Mert Zincirli (Cal) def. Joe Woolley (Utah), 7-5, 7-6^
 
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 3, 5, 6^
^Clinched the overall match