INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - Wichita State's men's tennis team battled in their final match of the Indian Wells Tournament, but couldn't hold off the Pacific Tigers on Sunday as they clipped the Shocks by a single match, 4-3.
After losing the doubles point, the Shocks bounced back in singles. They took the No. 1, 5 and 6 matches to tie the match but fell short in their comeback attempt.
The No. 3 duo of Fernando Ristow and Renan Delsin got things rolling in doubles play against WSU's senior Jonathan Obrist and sophomore David Cavalcanti, 8-3. Shocker juniors Adrian Chermaci and Vlad Marinescu battled the Tigers' No. 2 Vergerd Veskimagi and Chase Oliphant but couldn't get over the hump, 8-6.
Wichita State's freshman tandem of Sven Kasper and Valentin Mihai took on Artem Gramma and Ivan Castro in an epic No. 1 match but lost to the Tigers by way of the tiebreaker, 9-8 (10).
In singles competition, Kasper erased a 6-0 loss in the first set to come back and win sets two and three, 6-1, 6-3, in the top spot. Cavalcanti and freshman Matheus Pereira each nabbed wins for the Shocks with scores of 6-1, 6-1. Cavalcanti did so against Veskimagi in the No. 5 position while Pereira knocked off Oliphant at No. 6.
Unfortunately for the Shocks, losses at the No. 2, 3 and 4 positions combined with the lost doubles point sealed the 4-3 defeat. Castro worked quickly against Marinescu in the No. 2 match, 6-1, 6-1. Mihai also lost in straight sets in the No. 3 match. Meanwhile, Chermaci took the first set of the No. 4 match, Pacific's Ristow came back to win, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The Shockers are in action again on Tuesday, when they take on No. 10 UCLA in Los Angeles.
Singles Results
1. Sven Kasper (WSU) def. Artem Gramma (PAC), 0-6, 6-1, 6-3
2. Ivan Castro (PAC) def. Vlad Marinescu (WSU), 6-1, 6-1
3. Renan Delsin (PAC) def. Valentin Mihai (WSU), 6-4, 6-3
4. Fernando Ristow (PAC) def. Adrian Chermaci (WSU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
5. David Cavalcanti (WSU) def. Vegerd Veskimagi (PAC), 6-1, 6-1
6. Matheus Pereira (WSU) def. Chase Oliphant (PAC), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles Results
1. Gramma/Castro (PAC) def. Kasper/Mihai (WSU), 9-8 (10)
2. Veskimagi/Oliphant (PAC) def. Chermaci/Marinescu, 8-6
3. Ristow/Delsin (PAC) def. Cavalcanti/Obrist, 8-3
-Wichita State-
