BERKELEY, Calif. – Ben Draper capped a strong day by clinching No. 15 Cal's 4-2 upset win over 10th-ranked UCLA on Friday afternoon in the Golden Bears' 2020 home debut at the Hellman Tennis Complex. Draper beat Patrick Zahraj, 7-5, 6-3, at court-five singles to hand Cal men's tennis the win and lift the Bears' record to 2-1.
 
Earlier, Draper combined with Bjorn Hoffmann to clinch the doubles point against the Bruins, whose record is now 3-1 after Friday's nonconference match.
 
"We spent a lot of time practicing doubles this week, and it paid off," said Peter Wright, Cal's Director of Men's Tennis. "Our guys were sharp in their execution, and it set a great tone for the match. UCLA played well, and we had to bring our best today. In the end, our team wanted to start our home season off with a strong performance for our amazing fans."
 
After Cal's duo of Paul Barretto and Can Kaya beat Keegan Smith and Govind Nanda, 6-1, on court one, the 22nd-ranked Draper and Hoffmann topped Zahraj and Bryce Pereira, 6-2, on court three to secure the doubles point.
 
Cal won four of six first sets in singles. But the Bruins tied the match when the seventh-ranked Smith defeated Cal's 34th-ranked Yuta Kikuchi, 6-4, 6-2, on court one.
 
The Bears took a 3-1 lead when Kent Hunter beat Ben Goldberg, 6-4, 6-4, and then the 81st-ranked Hoffmann upended Eric Hahn, 7-5, 6-1. Cal suffered another setback when the 49th-ranked Jack Molloy fell to Nanda, 6-3, 6-4, to make the score 3-2 – before Draper ended the match with his court-five win.
 
Cal next hosts third-ranked USC in another nonconference match on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hellman.
 
No. 15 California (2-1) defeated No. 10 UCLA (3-1), 4-2
Jan. 31, 2020, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. Paul Barretto/Can Kaya (Cal) def. Keegan Smith/Govind Nanda (UCLA), 6-1
2. Jack Molloy/Yuta Kikuchi (Cal) vs. Drew Baird/Connor Rapp (UCLA), 3-4 unfinished
3. No. 22 Ben Draper/Bjorn Hoffmann (Cal) def. Bryce Pereira/Patrick Zahraj (UCLA), 6-2*


Order of Finish – 1, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point

Singles
1. No. 7 Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. No. 34 Yuta Kikuchi (Cal) 6-4, 6-2
2. Govind Nanda (UCLA) def. No. 49 Jack Molloy (Cal), 6-3, 6-4
3. Paul Barretto (Cal) vs. Drew Baird (UCLA), 6-2, 3-6, 1-2 Unfinished
4. Kent Hunter (Cal) def. Ben Goldberg (UCLA), 6-4, 6-4
5. Ben Draper (Cal) def. Patrick Zahraj (UCLA), 7-5, 6-3^
6. No. 81 Bjorn Hoffmann (Cal) def. Eric Hahn (UCLA), 7-5, 6-1


Order of Finish – 1, 4, 6, 2, 5^
^Clinched the overall match