Despite missing two of its usual starters, the UCSD men’s tennis team swept visiting Wayne State University 9-0 on March 10 at the Northview Tennis Courts.
Guardian file
Sophomore Emil Novak was out with an ankle injury, and junior Sean Nagel was out with a wrist injury. Even with their key players out, the Tritons proved their depth in the lineup and succeeded against an unfamiliar opponent.
“”Even though we didn’t know much about [Wayne State], we knew we had to just go out and stick to [our] game plan and not worry about them … we focused more knowing we were missing Sean and Emil,”” said sophomore Bryan Swatt, who was victorious in his singles and doubles matches that day. “”I [was] aggressive and kept attacking, especially when I noticed [Sinah’s] backhand was a bit weaker.””
Although there were some close sets, UCSD dropped only one set in the match and won every other singles and doubles matches in straight sets.
“”Wayne State did compete well. At some positions, we played quite well. No. 1 and No. 2 doubles; No. 2 singles all played a high level. And the closer sets were due somewhat to their pressure on us and our lack of execution. I thought [our] energy was high in nearly all the matches; the focus was there,”” said Triton head coach Eric Steidlmayer.
This win marks the 10th straight for the 20th-ranked Tritons (10-1 overall), while the 39th-ranked Warriors (11-2 overall) dropped their second match in a row.
In doubles, the No. 1 team, comprised of Swatt and junior Sameer Chopra, defeated the 20th-ranked doubles team, Mike Davis and Rohan Sinah, 8-3. At No. 2, junior Jeff Wilson and freshman Tomas Novak blanked Goran Marijan and Sebastian Foka 8-0. Capping off the doubles sweep were senior Mike Meyer and sophomore Nick Morton, who edged out Lech Czerwinski and Matt Akers with a score of 8-4.
Still in command, UCSD also won all six of their singles matches, dropping only one set. At No. 1, Chopra breezed past Foka 6-1, 6-3, while at No. 2, Swatt topped Sinah 6-3, 6-1. At No. 3, Tritons’ captain Meyer outdueled Davis 7-6, 6-4, and No. 4 Wilson won 7-6, 6-2, over Marijan. At No. 5, junior Blake Wilson-Hayden rallied past Hormis Tharrakan 6-0, 4-6, 7-5, while No. 6 freshman Brent Molden finished off Czerwinski 6-2, 7-6.
The Tritons are first in the West region of the California Collegiate Athletic Association with a 4-0 conference record.
They have been very successful in their first half of the season, dropping only their season opener. Having faced schools with a lower level of play is a bit of a concern since they are preparing to play tougher schools, but they feel they are ready, provided they stick to their game plan.
“”It is important for us to keep playing our game. We must continue to go after our shots that we succeed with in important situations. It will be crucial to our success as a team. The transition to tougher competition possibly could be difficult. However, it is more important to concentrate and execute well in every single match regardless of the competition,”” Steidlmayer said.
In addition, Swatt cites “”continuing improvement and focus”” as key in the upcoming matches. The team feels confident and that they are on the right track.
“”Our next six [matches] are going to be pretty competitive … I think we’re improving well and [we] should continue [to improve] by the time we play teams like [BYU] Hawaii, which are the big matches. But I think we’re on track, and if everyone just gets a little bit better, we’ll be on our way,”” Meyer said.
The Tritons will play a pair of matches at home at the Northview Tennis Courts this weekend. They battle Sonoma State on March 15 at 11 a.m. and St. Mary’s College on March 16 at 10 a.m.
