Bears Open Pacific Coast Doubles Championship
LA JOLLA, Calif. – The Cal men's tennis pair of Yuta Kikuchi and Carl Emil Overbeck advanced to the round of 16 after completing three rounds of action on the opening day of the Pacific Coast Men's Doubles Championship on Friday at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. Another Cal duo, Derrick Chen and Mikey Wright, won twice to advance to the round of 32.
Kikuchi and Overbeck won their round of 128 opener against Solomon Liu and John Weiss, 4-0, 4-0, while Chen and Wright beat the ninth-seeded Zhenging Ji and Zachary Pellouchoud, 2-4, 4-1, 7-5.
In the round of 64, Wright and Chen prevailed over SMU's Kyle Sillman and Johnny Zisette, 4-1, 5-4(13), while Overbeck and Kikuchi defeated Pepperdine's Enrique Luque Rico and Eric Hadigian, 4-2, 5-4(4).
Kikuchi and Overbeck were trailing Sebastian Bader and Eric Tseng, 2-4, 4-1, 6-5, in one of the round of 32 matches to start on Friday. But the Bears' opponents retired in the tiebreak, leaving Kikuchi and Overbeck to advance.
Three Cal duos lost in the open tournament's round of 128, including Kris Kwinta – the Peter Wright Director of Men's Tennis – and assistant coach Francis Sargeant. The Cal coaches, seeded 16th among independent players, fell to Ian Freer and Matthew Robinson of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 5-4(3), 4-2. The three Cal pairs moved on to the consolation draw.
The doubles tournament continues Saturday.
Pacific Coast Men's Doubles Championship
March 4, 2022, in La Jolla, Calif.
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
Main Draw Round of 128
[2] Yuta Kikuchi/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) def. Solomon Liu/John Weiss, 4-0, 4-0
Ian Freer/Matthew Robinson (CMS) def. [16] Kris Kwinta/Francis Sargeant, 5-4(3), 4-2
Juan Jose Bianchi/Max Motlagh (Boston Col.) def. Alex Chang/Philip Hjorth (Cal), 4-2, 4-2
Derrick Chen/Mikey Wright (Cal) def. [9] Zhengqing Ji/Zachary Pellouchoud, 2-4, 4-1, 7-5
Dario Huber/Shunya Maruyama (Nebraska) def. Sean Hill/Lucas Magnaudet (Cal), 5-4(2), 4-1
Main Draw Round of 64
[2] Yuta Kikuchi/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) def. Enrique Luque Rico/Eric Hadigian, 4-2, 5-4(4)
Derrick Chen/Mikey Wright (Cal) vs. Kyle Sillman/Johnny Zisette (SMU), 4-1, 5-4(13)
Main Draw Round of 32
[2] Yuta Kikuchi/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) def. Sebastian Bader/Eric Tseng, 4-2, 1-4, 5-6 (ret.)
Consolation Draw Round of 64 Qualifying
Alex Chang/Philip Hjorth (Cal) def. Ethan Lee/John Weiler (Pomona-Pitzer), 4-0, 4-2