MEN’S TENNIS ‘mdash; UCSD saw its season come to an end last Thursday, falling to Hawaii Pacific University 5-1 in a first-round West Regional matchup in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The win propels the sixth-ranked Sea Warriors (14-4) to the 16-team NCAA National Tournament this month in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Meanwhile, the Tritons, making their 10th straight appearance in postseason play, finish the season with a 12-11 record and a No. 36 national ranking.
‘My four years here have gone by pretty fast,’ said No. 1 Kazumi Negishi, one of two seniors who played their last career game. ‘It’s definitely surprising to see it coming to an end. I will miss the competition and the team camaraderie the most. It’s tough knowing that I will never get to play college tennis again.’
Head coach Eric Steidlmayer said that Negishi has grown, especially over the past year, both as the team leader and a player.
‘Kaz had a great year; his record at the No. 1 singles and doubles spots this season has been really remarkable,’ Steidlmayer said. ‘He’s got speed, tenacity and an outstanding forehand, but this year he really became our leader, and that is what I am most proud of.’
UCSD came into the showdown with Hawaii Pacific looking to avenge a 7-2 March 1 home loss. The Tritons won four out of five matches on the road to close the season, but couldn’t keep their impressive streak going against the Sea Warriors.
Hawaii Pacific jumped out to a quick start in the matchup, posting two convincing wins in doubles. The Sea Warriors’ top team of Nikola Petrov and Daniel Luedi made quick work of Negishi and sophomore Erik Elliot, posting an 8-2 win to give Hawaii Pacific a 1-0 lead. Hawaii Pacific’s second team was just as dominant, with Hendrik Bode and Sebastian Bader overpowering junior Vincent Nguyen and freshman Brandon Stevenson 8-0.
‘Our opponents really came out firing and were playing at a high level,’ Negishi said. ‘They made it tough for us from the very beginning. I felt we played a pretty solid match, but [Petrov and Luedi] were getting 90 percent of their first serves in, hitting them over 110 miles per hour. They just constantly put the pressure on us, and gave us no opportunities to get settled in.’
The Tritons grabbed their only victory of the day at No. 3 doubles, with freshman Samuel Ling and sophomore Naveen Dixit, teaming up for an 8-5 victory. The win pulled UCSD within 2-1 at the conclusion of doubles play, needing four wins in six singles matches to keep its season alive.
‘Watching this young but talented team mature has been one of the most exciting parts of the year,’ Negishi said. ‘Even though I’m graduating, I know that guys like Ling, Dixit and Jake Fellow will be able to hold our lineup in the future with all the experience they have gained this season. I expect the Triton tennis program to be in good hands with these guys leading the way in the coming years.’
The Sea Warriors continued their exceptional play into singles, winning the first three matches to build an insurmountable lead that rendered the remaining three matches, which were still in progress, irrelevant. Hawaii Pacific’s third singles win came from Luedi, who overwhelmed freshman Chapman Chan 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. That victory was followed by a 6-2, 6-2 win by Petrov, who beat Negishi to open up a 4-1 lead for the Sea Warriors. Jan Hroch helped clinch the match for Hawaii Pacific by winning his No. 6 singles match over Ling 6-2, 6-3.
Once the result had been decided, the rest of the matches were called off.
Despite the loss to Hawaii Pacific, the 2008-09 Tritons finished strong, providing hope that their returning nucleus can build on the encouraging results the team compiled during the second half of its season.
Readers can contact Neil Joshi at [email protected].