FRESNO, Calif.— The Colorado Mesa University men's tennis team wrapped up a spring break through California with a Thursday split that saw the Mavs drop a 4-0 decision to host Fresno Pacific University before bouncing back to claim a 4-1 win over Jessup University here at FPU's Haak Tennis Complex.
The split left the Mavericks with a 7-12 overall record, including a 2-3 mark during their 4-day road trip.
The host Sunbirds moved to 6-7 while the Warriors fell to 3-5.
Both duals were played to clinch.
Although the final score against the Sunbirds showed dominance, it was far from as the every match was competitive. In doubles, the Sunbirds claimed a 6-3 win in the top flight before Emilio Seelbach and Brodie Sodersten, ranked sixth in the ITA's West Regional Rankings at the end of the fall season, squeaked out a 7-6 (7-5) win in the tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles over the Mavs'
William Leschig and
Henry Scheck.
The third doubles match was also in a tie-breaker when it was called off.
Play then moved to singles, where FPU's Ravi Nelson won 7-5, 6-4 over
Philemon Jabin in the top flight before Sodersten came from a set down to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 over Leschig at No. 2.
Seelbach then sealed the dual with a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 4.
In the other unfinished three matches, the Mavs won the opening set as
Diogo Manzano was in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 3 singles with Martin Ramirez in a battle of regionally-ranked players. CMU's
Emil Hultman and Sven Bangert were also early in the third set of their No. 5 singles matches which saw them split 6-2 decisions in the opening two sets. The Mavs'
Jorge Abreu was leading Gregor Kliimask by a set as well at No. 6.
Against Jessup, the Mavs were able to turn the tables and won the doubles point thanks to wins at No. 1 and 3. Manzano and Abreu defeated Tanner Sitanggang and David Perez, 6-3 while Jabin and Hultman delivered a 6-4 win at No. 3 to clinch the point.
Leschig and Manzano, who switched spot in the lineup then delivered two relatively easy singles wins as Manzano won 6-3, 6-2 over Isaac Graves at No. 2 after Leschig had won 6-1, 6-1 over Joan Garros in the third flight.
The Warriors remained alive with Austrebeto Carlon's 7-5, 7-5 win over Jabin at No. 1 singles before Hultman delivered a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles over Sitanggang to finish off the Mavs' victory.
CMU will now return home to Colorado for the remainder of the regular season, opening up the month of April on Apr. 5 at arch-rival MSU Denver. They will also be at Colorado College on Apr. 6 before closing out the regular season against both of those teams at home on Apr. 13.
