AZUSA, Calif. - The 16th-ranked University of California San Diego men's tennis team turned in a dominating performance Monday to defeat No. 13 Azusa Pacific, 5-1, in an NCAA West Regional match at the Munson & Bavougian Tennis Complex.
With the victory, UC San Diego advances to the NCAA Championship Sweet 16, which takes place May 18-21 in Denver, Colo. The Tritons will play No. 12 Northwest Missouri State in the first round.
UCSD swept the doubles matches to take a 3-0 lead into singles play.
Junior Alexandre Miaule and senior Horea Porutiu got things started at No. 1 doubles, defeating Jan Meyer and Marnix Pluim, 8-4. The duo improved to a team-best 15-6 on the year.
At No. 2, freshman Rodrigo Amaral (San Diego) and sophomore Eric Tseng teamed up to take down Pascal Engel and Alan Leahy, 8-6. Playing together for just the third time this season, Amaral and Tseng now hold a 1-2 record.
Junior Edvin Larsson and sophomore Justin Zhang put the Tritons up 3-0 with a win at No. 3 as they topped Christian Schmid and Shepherd Newcomb, 8-5. It was only the second time the two had paired up this year and just the third doubles match for Larsson.
APU got its first and only point of the match at No. 1 singles as Meyer, ranked second nationally, beat Zhang, 6-3 and 6-4.
UCSD moved a step closer to advancing when Miaule earned a 6-1, 6-3 win against Leahy at No. 3. It was the 14th victory of the season for Miaule, the most for any Triton.
Porutiu provided the match-clinching point for UC San Diego with his 6-4, 6-3 win over Pluim in the fifth spot. With his second consecutive victory, Porutiu is now 12-10 in singles competition.
It was the third meeting between UCSD (14-9) and APU (20-5) this season. The Tritons won, 5-4, in Azusa on Feb. 6, while the Cougars took a 6-3 victory in La Jolla on April 1.
UCSD's match against Northwest Missouri State in Colorado will take place on May 18 at 4 p.m. (PT). The Bearcats won the Central 1 Regional to advance to Denver.
UCSD joins fellow West Region member Hawaii Pacific in the Mile High City. The Sharks, ranked third nationally and first in the West, received a bye in the regional round and advanced straight to the round of 16.
UC San Diego is making its first appearance in the NCAA tourney since 2014, when the Tritons fell against Midwestern State in the round of 16.
#16 UC San Diego 5, #13 Azusa Pacific 1
May 9, 2016 at Azusa, CA (Munson & Bavougian Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #2 Jan Meyer (APU) def. Eric Tseng (UCSD) 6-3, 6-4
2. Christian Schmid (APU) vs. Justin Zhang (UCSD) 6-3, 3-2, unfinished
3. Alexandre Miaule (UCSD) def. Alan Leahy (APU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Pascal Engel (APU) vs. Rodrigo Amaral (UCSD) 6-6, unfinished
5. Horea Porutiu (UCSD) def. Marnix Pluim (APU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Shepherd Newcomb (APU) vs. Riku Hashiyada (UCSD) 4-6, 5-3, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Horea Porutiu/Alexandre Miaule (UCSD) def. Jan Meyer/Marnix Pluim (APU) 8-4
2. Eric Tseng/Rodrigo Amaral (UCSD) def. Pascal Engel/Alan Leahy (APU) 8-6
3. Justin Zhang/Edvin Larsson (UCSD) def. Christian Schmid/Shepherd Newcomb (APU) 8-5
Match Notes
UC San Diego 14-9; National ranking #16; Regional ranking #3
Azusa Pacific 20-5; National ranking #13; Regional ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,5)
NCAA West Regional
T-2:35 A-37
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