SACRAMETNO, Calif. -- The University of Hawai'i men's tennis team (9-6, 0-0 Big West) split its doubleheader on the opening day of the 2020 Golden State Invitational. The Rainbow Warriors opened with an emphatic 4-0 sweep at Sacramento State (1-10) but later fell to St. Mary's (CA) 4-2 on Friday at the Sacramento State Tennis Courts.


Hawai'i 4, Sacramento State 0
The 'Bows won their fourth-straight match by capturing the doubles point followed by wins on courts No. 2, 3, and 1 to seal their second sweep in a row. The win also marked Hawai'i's sixth sweep of the season.

Hawai'i's No. 3 pair, Simao Telo Alves and Chia-Hua Lu finished first by dominating Sacramento State's Anton De La Puente and Carlos Rodriguez, 6-1. The Rainbow Warrior's No. 2 duo Blaz Seric and Axel Labrunie secured the double's point with equal success by defeating Josh Snowden-Poole and Michael Vizcarra, 6-2. The 'Bows No. 1 team of Andre Ilagan and Lucas Labrunie was leading Sacramento State's Hermont Legaspi and Louis Chabut 5-2 when the doubles point was captured. 

Hawai'i brought their momentum into singles, where they won the first three matches. Seric, who played at the No. 2 position for the first time this season, easily won in straight sets against Vizcarra at 6-3, 6-2. No. 3 Axel Labrunie finished second by wiping out Elliot Arnarp in a 6-1, 6-0 win. Clinching the match was Hawai'i's No. 1 and 117th-ranked Ilagan who held off Legaspi 7-6 (5), 6-4.

The Rainbow Warriors advance to take on St. Mary's (CA)on Day 2 of the Golden State Invitational on Saturday, March 7th at 12:00 p.m. HT in the semi-finals. It will be the third time this season that UH will take on the Gaels. UH defeated SMC twic in Honolulu 5-2 and 6-1 on Feb. 4 & 5. 

St. Mary's 4, Hawai'i 2
In the afternoon, St. Mary's (5-4) avenged their two losses in Honolulu earlier this year as they held off Hawai'i (9-6), 4-2 in the semifinal match. Hawai'i started strong, winning the doubles point. But the Gaels won four of the first five singles matches for the win. 

In doubles, Seric and Axel Labrunie defeated Abhishnek Bastola and Felipe Rincon on the No. 2 court, 6-2. UH's No. 1 duo of Ilagan and Lucas Labrunie held off SMC's Damon Kesaris and James Watt by a break, 6-4 to secure the first point of the match.

In singles, things started well for the 'Bows as Seric recorded a 6-4, 6-2 win over Rincon at No. 3. But from that point, St. Mary's was able to rally to win on courts 6, 5, 4, and 2 for the win--three of the wins were in three sets. Bastola battled back to down Tristan Martins, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on the No. 6 court. For Martins, the loss snapped his eight-match win streak and it was just his second loss of the season. SMC's Matis Bot followed with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over UH's No. 5 Simao Telo Alves. St. Mary's Karlo Divkovic snapped Axel Labrunie's nine-match win streak with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 win at No. 4. SMC's Watt then clinched the win with a straight-set, 6-4, 6-3 win over Lucas Labrunie on the No. 2 court. 

The loss snaps UH's four-match win streak. Hawai'i will play for third place on Saturday afternoon as they take on Portland at 12:30 p.m. at the Sacramento State Tennis Courts.


Hawaii 4, Sacramento State 0
Mar 06, 2020 at Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento State Tennis Courts)
 

Singles competition

1. Andre Ilagan (UH) def. Legaspi, Hermont (SAC) 7-6, 6-4

2. Blaz Seric (UH) def. Vizcarra, Michael (SAC) 6-3, 6-2

3. Axel Labrunie (UH) def. Arnarp, Elliot (SAC) 6-1, 6-0

4. Chabut, Louis (SAC) vs. Simao Telo Alves (UH) 5-7, 6-3, 2-2, unfinished

5. Rodriguez, Carlos (SAC) vs. Tristan Martins (UH) 6-7, unfinished

6. De La Puente, Anton (SAC) vs. Chia-Hua Lu (UH) 3-5, unfinished

 

Doubles competition

1. Legaspi, Hermont/Chabut, Louis (SAC) vs. Andre Ilagan/Lucas Labrunie (UH) 2-5, unfinished

2. Blaz Seric/Axel Labrunie (UH) def. Snowdon-Poole, Josh/Vizcarra, Michael (SAC) 6-2

3. Simao Telo Alves/Chia-Hua Lu (UH) def. De La Puente, Anton/Rodriguez, Carlos (SAC) 6-1

 

Match Notes

Hawaii 9-5

Sacramento State 1-10

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (,2,3,1)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Saint Mary's 4, Hawaii 2
Mar 06, 2020 at Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento State Tennis Courts)
 

Singles competition

1. Damon Kesaris (SMC) vs. Andre Ilagan (UH) 0-1, unfinished

2. James Watt (SMC) def. Lucas Labrunie (UH) 6-4, 6-3

3. Blaz Seric (UH) def. Felipe Rincon (SMC) 6-4, 6-2

4. Karlo Divkovic (SMC) def. Axel Labrunie (UH) 6-4, 2-6, 7-5

5. Matis Bot (SMC) def. Simao Telo Alves (UH) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2

6. Abhishek Bastola (SMC) def. Tristan Martins (UH) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. Andre Ilagan/Lucas Labrunie (UH) def. Damon Kesaris/James Watt (SMC) 6-4

2. Blaz Seric/Axel Labrunie (UH) def. Abhishek Bastola/Felipe Rincon (SMC) 6-2

3. Karlo Divkovic/Matis Bot (SMC) def. Simao Telo Alves/Chia-Hua Lu (UH) 6-1

 

Match Notes

Hawaii 9-6

Saint Mary's 5-4

Order of finish: Doubles (,2,1,3); Singles (3,6,5,4,2)