ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — The No. 43 University of California San Diego men's tennis team suffered a rare dual-match defeat on Monday afternoon, falling to No. 26 Sonoma State, 5-4, in a tight contest at SSU Tennis Courts.
The defeat snapped an eight-game winning streak for UC San Diego (8-3).
Monday's dual match began with doubles play, as the Tritons won two of three matches.
UC San Diego's No. 3 team of freshmen Neil Tengbumroong and Eskil Jarlskog defeated Alec Wong and Max Nudell, 8-2, but the Tritons No. 1 duo of seniors Eric Tseng and Justin Zhang dropped its match to Nate Oppenheim and Sean Alves, 8-6.
The UC San Diego No. 2 unit of sophomores Marc Isaia and Sreeganesh Manoharan split the difference by earning a victory over Allan Lock and Igor Pissarenko, 8-4, as the Tritons took a 2-1 lead into singles play.
Action resumed with junior Richard Han falling in his No. 5 singles match to Pissarenko, 6-1, 6-4, before Zhang dropped his No. 2 singles contest to 37th-ranked Alves, 6-4, 6-3.
Sonoma State (13-3) took a 4-2 lead when Tengbumroong came up short in a tight match against Wong, 7-5, 7-6 (6), but Jarlskog helped kept UC San Diego in it with a No. 4 singles win against Nudell, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
However, 22nd-ranked Tseng lost a grueling three-set battle with Oppenheim in No. 1 singles, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, as Sonoma State earned its fifth point to seal the dual match victory.
With the final outcome decided, Isaia defeated Lock in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, in the No. 3 singles slot.
The Tritons continue dual-match play on Wednesday when they play host to Hawaii-Hilo beginning at 11 a.m.
#26 Sonoma State 5, #43 UC San Diego 4
SSU Tennis Courts, Rohnert Park, Calif.
Doubles
Oppenheim/Alves (SSU) def. Tseng/Zhang (UCSD), 8-6
Isaia/Manoharan (UCSD) def. Lock/Pissarenko (SSU), 8-4
Jarlskog/Tengbumroong (UCSD) def. Wong/Nudell (SSU), 8-2
Singles
Oppenheim (SSU) def. #22 Tseng (UCSD) 6-7 (7-5), 6-3, 6-2
#37 Alves (SSU) def. Zhang (UCSD) 6-4, 6-3
Isaia (UCSD) def. Lock (SSU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Jarlskog (UCSD) def. Nudell (SSU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
Pissarenko (SSU) def. Han (UCSD) 6-1, 6-4
Wong (SSU) def. Tengbumroong (UCSD) 7-5, 7-6 (8-6)
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,2,6,4,1,3)
Records: #43 UC San Diego 8-3; #26 Sonoma State 13-3
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