LOS ANGELES – The University of Hawai`i men's tennis team saw their magical postseason run come to a close with a 4-0 loss to No. 7 UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships Saturday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The Rainbow Warriors watched their five-match win streak snapped, while finishing the year with an 11-10 overall mark.

 

Two weeks after winning its second straight WAC Championship and a day following a historic NCAA first-round win over Oklahoma State, UH looked to go even deeper into the postseason. But the No. 49 Rainbow Warriors couldn't overcome a powerful UCLA (19-4) squad that won its 12^th straight match and advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the 32^nd straight year.

 

“Our guys gained a lot respect,” head coach John Nelson said. “We beat two Top 20 teams in a row (Boise State and Oklahoma State) and today we faced the No. 7 team in the nation with the confidence that we would win the match. Our team was not content with just making it to the second round and were genuinely disappointed with the loss. It shows how far they've come, and I couldn't be more proud of this team.”

 

The loss was UH's second to UCLA this year.  The Bruins won a March 11 regular-season affair, 6-1, in Los Angeles. On Saturday, UCLA won the doubles point, then completed the victory with wins at the No. 5, 6 and 3 courts, respectively. UH, however, was highly competitive in the abandoned matches, picking up first set wins on the No. 1 and No. 2 courts and was closing in on a second set win on court No. 4.

 

UH dropped the doubles point, but not without a fight. Dennis Lajola and Jeff Fitch comfortably defeated No. 52 Michael Look and Nick Meister, 8-3, at the No. 1 court. UCLA, however, eventually claimed the first point of the day by taking the No. 2 court by an 8-4 score and the No. 3 court by an 8-5 count.

 

In singles action, No.100 Michael Look dispatched Fitch 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 5 position to start things off for UCLA. Fitch, playing the final match of his career, had won his previous four matches. Freshman Philipp Eberhard lost at the No. 6 court to No. 107 Nick Meister, 6-1, 7-5. Harel Srugo wrapped up the win for the Bruins at the No. 3 position by squeezing out a 6-4, 6-4 win over freshman Leo Rosenberg.

 

UH led in two of three suspended matches. Lajola was up a set (7-6, 2-5) versus No. 64 Matt Brooklyn at the No. 1 court, while Andreas Weber had a 3-2 lead over No. 49 Haythem Abid in the third and final set at court No. 2. Sascha Heinemann was in a duel with Holden Seguso on court No. 4, dropping the first set, 6-4, before play was suspended with it knotted 5-5 in the second set. It was the final match for Heinemann, UH's only four-time all-conference honoree. The native of Germany ended on a high note, with 13 straight singles wins.

 

1. Fitch/Lajola (UH) def. (52) Look/Meister (UCLA), 8-3

2. No. 80 Amit Inbar/Srugo (UCLA) def. Rosenberg/Weber (UH), 8-4

3. Abid/Seguso (UCLA) def. Craig Faulk/Heinemann (UH), 8-5

 

1. No. 65 Dennis Lajola (UH) led No. 64 Matt Brooklyn (UCLA), 7-6(3), 2-5 Susp.

2. Andreas Weber (UH) led No. 49 Haythem Abid (UCLA) 6-4, 3-6, 3-2 Susp.

3. Harel Srugo (UCLA) def. Leo Rosenberg (UH), 6-4, 6-4*

4. Holden Seguso (UCLA) led Sascha Heinemann (UH), 6-4, 5-5 Susp.

5. No. 100 Michael Look (UCLA) def. Jeff Fitch (UH), 6-0, 6-1

6. No. 107 Nick Meister (UCLA) def. Phillip Eberhard (UH), 6-1, 7-5