Photo by samsphotoservices.
Pasadena, CA – Men's tennis played the #15 nationally ranked Cal Tech team at their home courts on Saturday. The Tigers had early leads in all doubles matches, winning one and narrowly losing the other two. Towards the top of the lineup, Oxy also challenged the Beavers in singles with some close tiebreak matches. The Tigers lost the duel 1-8.
At #3 doubles junior Zach Haas and first year Ridley Potter took a huge win. Caltech pushed the match to a pressure-filled tiebreaker, which Haas and Potter secured 9-7. At #1 doubles, Matt O'Connor and Seth Lipe played the #8 ranked team in the ITA West and knocked off five games. At #2, David Zhang and Brett Miller had a promising 5-2 start but ultimately lost 6-8.
In singles, Matt O'Connor was all tied up with his opponent at #1. The first set was decided by a tiebreaker in Caltech's favor. O'Connor suffered a toe injury in the second set and was forced to retire.
At #2, Sam Coan played a tough match against the #18th ranked men's player in the region but surprised him by winning five games. At #3, David Zhang had a strong start with a first set win (6-4). He dictated points with his heavy spin and big forehand. He lost the second 4-6, and was forced to decide the match in a super tiebreaker, which he lost 7-10.
At #6 singles, junior Seth Lipe also put up a good fight. He played smart tennis and was able to pick up 5 games from the Beavers.
Last Conference Match: May 1st, 2022 – 10:00 AM @ Chapman
