Jan. 13, 2011

Box Score in PDF Format

TULSA, Okla. - The No. 19-ranked California men's tennis team (1-0) opened the 2011 dual season with a 4-3 win over No. 35 Tulsa (2-1) on Thursday, Jan. 13, at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. No. 120-ranked sophomore Riki McLachlan delivered the win to the Golden Bear corner as he pulled out a thrilling three-set win over Tristan Jackson at No. 5 singles, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5.

The Golden Hurricane fired the first shot of the match and secured the doubles point with a big win at the top court as the No. 22-ranked team of Clifford Marsland and Ashley Watling claimed a 7-4 win in the pro-set tiebreaker over Cal's No. 13-ranked duo of junior Nick Andrews and sophomore Christoffer Konigsfeldt. The Bears' team of freshman Ben McLachlan and senior Pedro Zerbini won its doubles match by an 8-3 margin against Japie De Klerk and Rusty Turpin at the third court. But Tulsa evened the race for the doubles point as Alastair Barnes and Grant Ive took an 8-3 win over the No. 17-ranked tandem of sophomore Carlos Cueto and senior Jonathan Dahan at court two.

Down a point, No. 50-ranked Konigsfeldt quickly evened things up in a 6-1, 6-1 win against Barnes at No. 3 singles. Moments later, Zerbini pushed the Bears ahead, 2-1, as he took out No. 96-ranked Marsland, 6-4, 6-4, at the top court. The Hurricane stormed back to tie the match at two points when No. 89 Watling turned away No. 59 Cueto, 7-5, 6-4, at the second singles court, but the Bears went up, 3-2, when Andrews stood tall to defeat Ive in three sets at court four, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

Tulsa pushed Cal to the brink as it took a win at the sixth singles court. De Klerk took the first set against Ben McLachlan, on a 7-4 tiebreaker win, but McLachlan responded to take a 6-3 win in the second set. De Klerk had the edge in a 6-4 third-set victory.

One court over, Riki McLachlan stumbled in his second set against Jackson after winning the first, 6-3, to lose, 8-6, in a second-set tiebreaker. The two battled out a close third set to a five-all tie before McLachlan pulled away for a 7-5 win to secure the first dual victory of the year for the Bears.

Cal will rest one day before it faces No. 5 Texas (0-0) in a 10 a.m. PT match on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.

No. 19 California 4, No. 35 Tulsa 3
Michael D. Case Tennis Center | Tulsa, Okla.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Doubles
1. No. 22 Marsland/Watling (TUL) def. No. 13 Andrews/Konigsfeldt (CAL) 9-8(4)
2. Barnes/Ive (TUL) def. No. 17 Cueto/Dahan (CAL) 8-3
3. B. McLachlan/Zerbini (CAL) def. De Klerk/Turpin (TUL) 8-3
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1* (Tulsa wins doubles point) |
Singles
1. Pedro Zerbini (CAL) def. No. 96 Clifford Marsland (TUL) 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 89 Ashley Watling (TUL) def. No. 59 Carlos Cueto (CAL) 7-5, 6-4
3. No. 50 Christoffer Konigsfeldt (CAL) def. Alastair Barnes (TUL) 6-1, 6-1
4. Nick Andrews (CAL) def. Grant Ive (TUL) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
5. No. 120 Riki McLachlan (CAL) def. Tristan Jackson (TUL) 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-5
6. Japie De Klerk (TUL) def. Ben McLachlan (CAL) 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2, 4, 6, 5*