Junior Gary Yam tied the match 4-4 on Thursday’s match against Amherst on March 20. Photo credit: Steven Mercado
The Azusa Pacific men’s tennis team jumped out to an early 2-1 lead against Amherst after doubles play Thursday, but a closely contested competition in singles play resulted in the NCAA Division III No. 4-ranked Jeffs emerging victorious in a 5-4 comeback victory over the NCAA Division II No. 11-ranked Cougars.
Amherst struck first at No. 2 doubles, with No. 15-ranked Michael Solimano and Aaron Revzin defeating senior Freddy Wilkens and freshman Pascal Engel, 8-4. This was the first time Wilkens and Engel were paired together this season.
The Cougars answered with victories at the other two doubles spots. At No. 1, the first time team of sophomore Jan Meyer and junior Gary Yam defeated Joey Fritz and Justin Reindel, 9-7. Sophomore Tomas Aranguiz and freshman Alan Leahy beat Anton Zykov and Eli Mlaver, 8-6 at the No. 3 spot, improving Aranguiz’s and Leahy’s record as a doubles team to 3-2.
To begin singles play, Meyer faced No. 14-ranked Fritz and when Fritz pulled ahead with a 3-2 lead, Meyer had to retire due to illness, which he battled throughout the day.
Revzin handed Engel his first loss at No. 4 singles 6-3, 6-1. The Cougars and the Jeffs traded victories through the last four singles matchups. At the No. 2 spot, Wilkens defeated Michael Solimano 6-0, boosting Wilkens’ undefeated record at the second singles spot to 12-0. Reindel then scored a comeback victory, winning the three-set match against Aranguiz at the No. 5 spot, 0-6, 6-2, 6-0.
Yam defeated Mlaver at No. 6 for a key victory in the match, 6-0, 6-4. The win tied the match 4-4. The tie-breaking matchup at the No. 3 singles spot was won by Zykov, defeating Leahy 7-6, 6-3.
Azusa Pacific falls to an 11-4 record with the loss. The team plays the final seven games of its season at home before finishing with the Pacific West Conference Tournament. The next match for the Cougars is against Holy Names Saturday, March 22 at the Munson & Bavougian Tennis Complex.