Huskies Rally From 0-3 Down For Road Win
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Washington finally got the road breakthrough plus the tight match breakthrough it had been searching for this season, as the Huskies rallied back from 0-3 down to defeat UC Santa Barbara today by a 4-3 count. Freshman Han-Chih Lin came through with the deciding point, pulling out a close three setter at the No. 4 singles match.
The Huskies (8-7) had lost a heartbreaker of a doubles point but Head Coach Matt Anger credited three of the guys that came up short in doubles with turning right around and coming through in singles play.
"It was a great all-around team win," said Anger. "We had a tough doubles point and it was split at first and second and Hans and Ewen had a lot of chances. It was a great effort by Hans and Ewen to come right back and get their singles points. Jack Davis had lost in doubles and he came back and won his singles match. So three of our wins were guys who had lost in the doubles."
Ewen Lumsden moved up to the No. 2 singles spot today and he was the first Husky to post a point, defeating Stefano Tsorotiotis, 6-4, 6-2. Then Davis at the No. 3 spot won by the same score line over Alejandro Vedri.
At No. 6 singles, Adam Torocsik pulled out consecutive tiebreak sets, 7-4 in both, to knock off Joseph Rotheram and tie the dual match up at 3-all.
Lin had been in a similar spot less than a week ago at home against Utah and dropped a heartbreaker in a third set tiebreak. But today he got to be the one mobbed by his teammates as he defeated Victor Krustev, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to finish the win.
The Huskies won in spite of Clement Chidekh suffering just his second loss of the year at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-2, to Joseph Guillin, a fifth-year senior ranked as high as No. 6 nationally during his career.
"The added bonus is to win with Clement losing today, as the guys see we can win even if he doesn't and Clement can see it doesn't all ride on him," said Anger.
Chidekh did get a win in doubles with Thibault Cancel, as the two moved up to No. 1 today and had a 7-5 win over Tsorotiotis/Vedri. But UCSB had a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles and then came back from down 1-5 at No. 3 doubles to take that match in a tiebreak and put the Huskies down 1-0. It's UW's second win this season after losing the doubles point.
Washington will now head further south to San Diego and take on the SDSU Aztecs on Friday at 2 p.m.
Washington Men's Tennis
March 24, 2021
Recreation Center Courts | Santa Barbara, Calif.
Washington – 4
UC Santa Barbara – 3
Singles
1. Joseph Guillin (UCSB) def. (#83) Clement Chidekh (UW) – 6-2, 6-2
2. Ewen Lumsden (UW) def. Stefano Tsorotiotis (USCB) – 6-4, 6-2
3. Jack Davis (UW) def. Alejandro Vedri (UCSB) – 6-4, 6-2
4. Han-Chih Lin (UW) def. Victor Krustev (UCSB) – 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
5. Pablo Masjuan (UCSB) def. Jack Pulliam (UW) – 6-3, 6-1
6. Adam Torocsik (UW) def. Joseph Rotheram (UCSB) – 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4)
Order of finish: 5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 4
Doubles
1. Cancel/Chidekh (UW) def. Tsorotiotis/Vedri (UCSB) – 7-5
2. Krustev/Rotheram (UCSB) def. Alexis Alvarez/Davis (UW) – 6-3
3. Guillin/Brady (UCSB) def. Lumsden/Lin (UW) – 7-6 (2)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3