CHICAGO – Thirteenth-ranked and 12th-seeded California lost, 4-0, to fifth-ranked and fifth-seeded Illinois, in its ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship opener on Friday at the Midtown Athletic Club. The Golden Bears' record now stands at 6-1, while the Fighting Illini are 7-1.
Cal moves on to play in the consolation bracket on Saturday and will take on Columbia at 6:30 p.m. CT.
“We knew we'd have a few bumps in the road this season, and today we ran into a very strong Illinois team in front of a vocal home crowd,” Cal head coach Peter Wright said. “It was good for our guys to experience indoor tennis. Next up is another solid indoor team, Columbia. In spite of the loss, we're gearing up for another battle tomorrow night.”
The Bears won the first match of the competition, as the Cal pair of junior Mads Engsted and sophomore Filip Bergevi beat Blake Bazarnik and Brian Page, 6-3, in court-three doubles. But Illinois' 11th-ranked Tim Kopinski beat the Bears' 30th-ranked senior duo of Gregory Bayane and Chase Melton, 6-3, on court one to knot things up. The Illini clinched the doubles point when Cal's 32nd-ranked team of junior Oskar Wikberg and sophomore Andre Goransson lost to Jared Hiltzik/Farris Gosea, 7-6(3).
In singles, Wikberg lost on court five to the 46th-ranked Aleks Vukic, 6-1, 6-4, Cal freshman Billy Griffith fell to the 37th-ranked Kopinski, 6-3, 6-4, and then freshman J.T. Nishimura dropped a 7-5, 6-1 result on court four to the 69th-ranked Aron Hiltzik to give Illinois the 4-0 victory.
ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship
Round of 16
No. 5 [5] Illinois (7-1) defeated No. 13 [12] Cal (6-1) – 4-0
Feb. 13, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois
Midtown Athletic Club
Doubles
1. No. 11 Tim Kopinski/Ross Guignon (Illinois) def. No. 30 Gregory Bayane/Chase Melton (Cal) – 6-3
2. Jared Hiltzik/Farris Gosea (Illinois) def. No. 32 Andre Goransson/Oskar Wikberg (Cal) – 7-6(3)
3: Filip Bergevi/Mads Engsted (Cal) def. Blake Bazarnik/Brian Page (Illinois) – 6-3
Illinois captured the doubles point
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2*
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles
1. No. 41 Farris Gosea (Illinois) vs. No. 42 Andre Goransson (Cal) –Abandoned
2. No. 114 Filip Bergevi (Cal) vs. No. 23 Jared Hiltzik (Illinois) – Abandoned
3. No. 37 Tim Kopinski (Illinois) def. Billy Griffith (Cal) – 6-3, 6-4
4. No. 69 Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) def. J.T. Nishimura (Cal) – 7-5, 6-1
5. No. 46 Aleks Vukic (Illinois) def. Oskar Wikberg – 6-1, 6-4
6. Toshiki Matsuya (Illinois) vs. Gregory Bayane (Cal) – Abandoned
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 4^
^Clinched the overall match
