DALLAS – The 10th-ranked California men's tennis team continued its late-season surge with a 4-2 victory over No. 61 SMU on Sunday, with Timofey Stepanov clinching Cal's ninth consecutive win, including five straight on the road.
 
The Golden Bear sophomore defeated Georgi Georgiev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at court-four singles to complete Cal's rally from 2-0 down and defeat SMU.
 
The Bears improved their record to 16-2 (8-2 ACC). The Mustangs are 12-15 (1-9).
 
Despite a doubles win from Mikey Wright and Fryderyk Lechno-Wasiutynski – who defeated Vikas Deo and Xavier Calvelo 6-3 on court three – the Bears lost the doubles point to trail 1-0 heading into singles.
 
Cal's ninth-ranked Carl Emil Overbeck fell to 86th-ranked Trevor Svajda 6-1, 6-1 at court-one singles to give SMU its 2-0 lead.
 
The Bears began their comeback on court six, where freshman Fryderyk Lechno-Wasiutynski topped Calvelo 6-1, 6-3. Senior Derrick Chen added another straight-set win – 6-2, 6-4 over Louis Cloud – to tie the overall match 2-2.
 
Cal's 37th-ranked Theo Dean prevailed 7-6(5), 6-2 over Ofek Shimanov 7-6(5), 6-2 to push the lead to 3-2, until Stepanov finished the victory.
 
After a long road trip, Cal returns to the cozy confines of the Hellman Tennis Complex to host its last home matches of the regular season against Duke on Friday and North Carolina next Sunday.
 
No. 10 California (16-2, 8-2 ACC) defeated No. 61 SMU (12-15, 1-9 ACC), 4-2
March 30, 2025, in Dallas, Texas.
Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. No. 76 Georgi Georgiev/Ofek Shimanov (SMU) def. Alex Chang/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal), 6-2
2. No. 45 Trevor Svajda/Louis Cloud (SMU) def. Derrick Chen/Theo Dean (Cal), 6-3*
3. Mikey Wright/Fryderyk Lechno-Wasiutynski (Cal) def. Vikas Deo/Xavier Calvelo (SMU), 6-3
 
Order of Finish – 1, 3, 2*
*Clinched the doubles point for SMU
 
Singles
1. No. 86 Trevor Svajda (SMU) def. No. 9 Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal), 6-1, 6-1
2. No. 68 Alex Chang (Cal) vs. Jerry Barton (SMU), 4-6, 7-6(5), 4-2 Unfinished
3. No. 37 Theo Dean (Cal) def. Ofek Shimanov (SMU), 7-6(5), 6-2
4. Timofey Stepanov (Cal) def. Georgi Georgiev (SMU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2^
5. Derrick Chen (Cal) def. Louis Cloud (SMU), 6-2, 6-4
6. Fryderyk Lechno-Wasiutynski (Cal) def. Xavier Calvelo (SMU), 6-1, 6-3

Order of Finish – 1, 6, 5, 3, 4^
^Clinched the overall victory for Cal
 
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