LA JOLLA, Calif. - In its final home match of the season Tuesday, the 11th-ranked UC San Diego men's tennis team was upset, 6-3, by unranked crosstown rival Point Loma at Northview Courts.
UCSD led 2-1 following the doubles session, but PLNU came on strong in singles, battling to take five of the six match-ups to secure the victory.
The Tritons jumped out to a 2-0 lead after winning the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles contests. In the top slot, No. 22 Max Jiganti and Kona Luu blanked Martin Blaho and Kaptan Kaster, 8-0. At No. 3, Rajeev Herekar and Mark Meyer had no problems with Kevin McKelligan and Daniel Milliken, rolling to an 8-3 victory.
The Sea Lions picked up their first point of the match with a win at No. 2 doubles as Brooks Baldinger and Benjamin Hammond downed Alexandre Miaule and Horea Porutiu, 8-6.
UC San Diego's lone singles win came at No. 5 as Meyer won a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 decision over Milliken. The junior is now 17-4 overall on the season.
The No. 1 singles match went three sets with Baldinger scratching for a 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4 win against Jiganti.
Two other singles tilts went to three sets as well. At No. 4, Kaster outlasted Porutiu by scores of 6-3, 4-6 and 7-5. At No. 6, McKelligan lost the opening set, 6-1, against Maxence Dutreix, but bounced back to take the next two by 6-2 tallies.
With their six-match win streak snapped, the Tritons dropped to 15-7 overall. The Sea Lions improved to 6-12.
Entering Tuesday's match, UCSD had won the previous four meetings between the two squads, including a 7-2 decision in La Jolla on Feb. 11 of this season. The last time the Sea Lions topped the Tritons was on April 6, 2010, in Point Loma (6-3).
UCSD plays at No. 10 Azusa Pacific on Friday, April 11, at 3 p.m. The Cougars edged the Tritons, 5-4, on Feb. 8 in La Jolla.
Point Loma 6, #11 UC San Diego 3
April 08, 2014 at La Jolla, CA (Northview Courts)
Singles
1. Brooks Baldinger (PLNU) def. Max Jiganti (UCSD) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4
2. Michael Zablan (PLNU) def. Rajeev Herekar (UCSD) 7-6 (7-3), 6-0
3. Martin Blaho (PLNU) def. Alexandre Miaule (UCSD) 6-2, 6-4
4. Kaptan Kaster (PLNU) def. Horea Porutiu (UCSD) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
5. Mark Meyer (UCSD) def. Daniel Milliken (PLNU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
6. Kevin McKelligan (PLNU) def. Maxence Dutreix (UCSD) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
1. #22 Max Jiganti/Kona Luu (UCSD) def. Martin Blaho/Kaptan Kaster (PLNU) 8-0
2. Brooks Baldinger/Benjamin Hammond (PLNU) def. Alexandre Miaule/Horea Porutiu (UCSD) 8-6
3. Rajeev Herekar/Mark Meyer (UCSD) def. Kevin McKelligan/Daniel Milliken (PLNU) 8-3
Point Loma 6-12; Regional ranking #7
UC San Diego 15-7; National ranking #11; Regional ranking #4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,2,6,5,1,4)
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