LOS ANGELES – The California men's tennis team posted its biggest win of the dual-match season in a 4-2 victory over 25th-ranked UCLA on Saturday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. Fourth-ranked Carl Emil Overbeck clinched the win with a three-setter at court-one singles to keep the Golden Bears unbeaten at 5-0.
 
The result was a momentous one – it marked Cal's first win at UCLA since March 25, 2011, when Peter Wright led the Bears to a 4-3 win, and the first win by Kris Kwinta, Cal's Peter Wright Director of Men's Tennis, as the current leader of the program.
 
The match featured all of the nationally ranked Bears, including five in singles and two doubles teams.

In taut doubles action to start Saturday's contest, the teams split the first two matches. Cal's 84th-ranked Alex Chang and Mikey Wright fell to Spencer Johnson and Emon van Loben Sels 6-4 on court one and then the Bears' 30th-ranked Theo Dean and Carl Emil Overbeck defeated the Bruins' Alexander Hoogmartens and Aadarsh Tripathi 6-3 on court two. Court three decided the doubles point, with the duo of Derrick Chen and Timofey Stepanov edging Gianluca Ballotta and Giacomo Revelli 7-6(4) to give Cal a 1-0 lead.
 
The host opened singles with two wins to take a 2-1 lead over the Bears – before Cal rebounded when 110th-ranked Stepanov won 6-4, 6-4 over 93rd-ranked Revelli 6-4, 6-4 to tie matters 2-2. Cal freshman Bernardo Munk Mesa posted another straight-set win – 7-6(5), 6-4 over Ballotta – to lift the Bears to a 3-2 advantage.

Overbeck, a senior, rallied from dropping the first set on court one to best 50th-ranked Rudy Quan 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, hand Cal the victory and leave UCLA with a 2-3 record.
 
"No matter if the Bears were on the courts or on the bench, or if they were playing great, everyone contributed their heart and soul to the match," Kwinta said. "It was a true Bear performance in a fun collegiate match and fun collegiate atmosphere. To see the seniors coming through in tough moments in hostile territory, it was good to see. The guys stayed positive, upbeat and were aggressive in the right moments. Being greedy and resourceful even when you're not playing your best – that's what tennis is all about. I'm happy."
 
Cal stays in Los Angeles to face USC at Sunday at noon.
 
California (5-0) defeated No. 25 UCLA (2-3), 4-2
Feb. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Tennis Center
 
Doubles
1. Spencer Johnson/Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. No. 84 Alex Chang/Mikey Wright (Cal), 6-4
2. No. 30 Theo Dean/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) def. Alexander Hoogmartens/Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA), 6-3
3. Derrick Chen/Timofey Stepanov (Cal) def. Gianluca Ballotta/Giacomo Revelli (UCLA), 7-6(4)*
 
Order of Finish – 1, 2, 3
*Clinched the doubles point for Cal
 
Singles
1. No. 4 Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) def. No. 50 Rudy Quan (UCLA), 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4^
2. No. 66 Alex Chang (Cal) vs. No. 13 Spencer Johnson (UCLA), 6-7(1), 7-6(5), 2-2 DNF
3. No. 93 Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. No. 32 Theo Dean (Cal), 6-4, 6-3
4. Alexander Hoogmartens (UCLA) def. No. 102 Derrick Chen (Cal), 6-3, 6-1
5. No. 110 Timofey Stepanov (Cal) def. No. 93 Giacomo Revelli (UCLA), 6-4, 6-4
6. Bernardo Munk Mesa (Cal) def. Gianluca Ballotta (UCLA), 7-6(5), 6-4
 
Order of Finish – 4, 3, 5, 6, 1^
^Clinched the overall win for Cal
 
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