SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's tennis team fought hard in the majority of the matches against UC Santa Barbara Sunday afternoon at the Recreation Center Courts before ultimately falling 6-1 in a Big West Conference match-up. At the midway point of the season, the Rainbow Warriors dropped to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in Big West play.
 
Hawai'i pushed the Gauchos in doubles and singles competition, taking all three doubles matches to a deuce set and playing five of the six singles contests to a third set. The Gauchos managed to win all three doubles and four of the five singles matches that went the distance.
 
In doubles play, UH's No. 3 duo Tristan Martins and Simao Telo Alves were defeated by Joseph Guillin and Kai Brady, 7-5. UH's No. 2 duo Andre Ilagan and Lucas Labrunie also attempted to outplay UCSB's Stefano Tsorotiotis and Alejandro Vedri, taking them to a deuce set before falling, 7-5, allotting the doubles point to the Gauchos. UH's No. 3 duo Blaz Seric and Axel Labrunie stayed on court the longest, dropping their match-up against Victor Krustev and Joseph Rotheram, 7-6 (6-0).
 
In singles, the Warriors increased their resolve against the Guacho's solid lineup, managing to break through on the No. 6 court where Martins defeated Brady in three sets, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. 
 
On the No. 5 court, Telo Alves finished first after Vedri seized two straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Axel Labrunie took the first set against Krustev on the No. 4 court, but fell in the last two, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, finishing second. Seric also took the first set of his match against Tsorotiotis and continued to battle in the second set until a deciding third set in Tsorotiotis's favor, 3-6, 7-6 (0), 6-4.
 
After Martin's victory on the No. 6 court, the last two singles matches were being played on the No. 1 and No. 3 courts where No. 1 Ilagan and No. 3 Luas Labrunie played to a third set. Ilagan went head-to-head with Guillian, before seceded in the third set, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Labrunie was the last to finish, unfaltering until the end of his match against Krustev, who won the third set tiebreaker, 7-5, 6-7, 10-4. 
 
The Warriors return home for a pair of Big West matches against UC Irvine on Saturday, April 3 at 12:00 p.m., and UC San Diego on Monday, April 5 at 3:00 p.m. in their finale two home matches of the season.
 
UC Santa Barbara 6, Hawai'i 1
March 28, 2021
Honolulu, O'ahu (UH Tennis Complex)
 
Doubles
1. Tsorotiotis, Stefano/Vedri, Alejandro (UCSB) def. Andre Ilagan/Lucas Labrunie (UH) 7-5
2. Krustev, Victor/Rotheram, Joseph (UCSB) def. Blaz Seric/Axel Labrunie (UH) 7-6 (6-0)
3. Guillin, Joseph/Brady, Kai (UCSB) def. Tristan Martins/Simao Telo Alves (UH) 7-5
Order of finish: (3,1*,2)

Singles
1. Guillin, Joseph (UCSB) def. Andre Ilagan (UH) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
2. Tsorotiotis, Stefano (UCSB) def. Blaz Seric (UH) 3-6, 7-6 (5-0), 6-4
3. Krustev, Victor (UCSB) def. Lucas Labrunie (UH) 7-5, 6-7, 10-4
4. Masjuan, Pablo (UCSB) def. Axel Labrunie (UH) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Vedri, Alejandro (UCSB) def. Simao Telo Alves (UH) 6-4, 6-2
6. Tristan Martins (UH) def. Brady, Kai (UCSB) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: (5,4,2*,6,1,3)