SACRAMENTO – The 73rd-ranked University of Hawai'i men's tennis team (7-4, 1-0 Big West) completed a double-header sweep on Friday, shutting out Sacramento State, 4-0, at the Sacramento State Tennis Complex. Earlier in the day, UH defeated Saint Mary's (CA) to open the Golden State Invitational.

#73 Hawai'i 4, Sacramento State 0
The 'Bows jumped out the gate hot, securing the doubles point. On Court No. 1, the UH pairing of Timothy Li and Kosuke Nakanishi set the tone with a 6-2 victory over Hornets' Nick Bowles and Adryan Ballestero. The point was clinched on Court No. 3, where Kent Mueller and Adriano Dzhenev battled past SAC's duo of Marin Duris and Sebastian Vlahos, 7-5.

Hawai'i carried that momentum into singles play, winning the first three matches to clinch the overall victory. Dzhenev picked up his third consecutive singles win, defeating Hornets' Adryan Ballestero in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. On Court No. 1, Visaya stayed red-hot, earning a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Sac State's Martin Duris. Hikaru Takahashi then sealed the match for the Rainbow Warriors with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win against Sebastian Vlahos.

UH will wrap up play at the Golden State Invitational tomorrow with a matchup against Nevada. The team will travel to
Davis, Calif., to compete at the Marya Welch Tennis Center, with first serve scheduled for 8:00 a.m. HT.

GOLDEN STATE INVITATIONAL

#73 Hawai'i 4, Sacramento State 0
at Sacramento State Tennis Center (Sacramento, Calif.)
Friday, March 6, 2026

Doubles Competition
1. Timothy Li/Kosuke Nakanishi (UH) def. Nick Bowles/Adryan Ballestero (SAC), 6-2
2. Toa Maeda/Azuma Visaya (UH) vs. Doni Gashi/Freddie Healey (SAC), DNF 6-5
3. Kent Mueller/Adriano Dzhenev (UH) def. Martin Duris/Sebastian Vlahos (SAC), 7-5

Singles Competition
1. Azuma Visaya (UH) def. Martin Duris (SAC), 6-4, 6-1
2. Timothy Li (UH) vs. Doni Gashi (SAC), DNF 6-4, 3-2
3. Kosuke Nakanishi (UH) vs. Freddie Healey (SAC), DNF 6-4, 4-4
4. Kent Mueller (UH) vs. Nick Bowles (SAC), DNF 2-6, 6-2, 1-0
5. Adriano Dzhenev (UH) def. Adryan Ballestero (SAC), 6-2, 6-1
6. Hikaru Takahashi (UH) def. Sebastian Vlahos (SAC), 6-1, 6-2

Match Notes
Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,1,6)
Hawai'i 7-4, 1-0 BW
Sacramento State 6-5, 1-0 Big Sky
 

Hawai'i 4, Saint Mary's (CA) 2
The University of Hawai'i men's tennis team (6-4, 1-0 Big West) opened the Golden State Invitational with a 4-2 victory over Saint Mary's (CA) at the Sacramento State Tennis Complex. With the win, the 'Bows improve to 5-1 over their last six matches.

The Gaels claimed the doubles point to open the match, securing victories on Courts No. 2 and 3. The UH pair of Timothy Li and Kosuke Nakanishi held a 4-3 lead in their match before it was halted once the point had been decided.

The Rainbow Warriors took control in singles play, winning four matches to secure the team victory. Li continued his strong singles form with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over SMC's Thibaud Maxant. Nakanishi followed Li's win with his own straight sets victory over Gaels' Paulo Etchecoin, 6-2, 6-3, to extend Hawai'i's momentum. UH's Adriano Dzhenev battled through a tight opening set before dominating the second to earn a 7-5, 6-0 win over Francisco Duran. Kent Mueller then clinched the match for the Rainbow Warriors, grinding out a three-set victory over SMC's Juan Pedro Etchecoing, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

The 'Bows will continue play at the Golden State Invitational with a matchup against host Sacramento State. The contest is scheduled for 12 p.m. HT at the Sacramento State Tennis Complex.

GOLDEN STATE INVITATIONAL

#73 Hawai'i 4, Saint Mary's CA 2
at Sacramento State Tennis Center (Sacramento, Calif.)
Friday, March 6, 2026

Doubles Competition
1. Timothy Li/Kosuke Nakanishi (UH) vs. Finley Dyer/Thibaud Maxant (SMC), DNF 4-3
2. Juan Pedro Etchecoin/Paulo Etchecoin (SMC) def. Toa Maeda/Azuma Visaya (UH), 6-3
3. Bastien Maxant/Francisco Duran (SMC) def. Kent Mueller/Adriano Dzhenev (UH), 6-1

Singles Competition
1. Azuma Visaya (UH) vs. Finley Dyer (SMC), DNF 6-4, 4-5
2. Timothy Li (UH) def. Thibaud Maxant (SMC), 6-3, 6-1
3. Kosuke Nakanishi (UH) def. Paulo Etchecoin (SMC), 6-2, 6-3
4. Kent Mueller (UH) def. Juan Pedro Etchecoing (SMC), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
5. Adriano Dzhenev (UH) def. Francisco Duran (SMC), 7-5, 6-0
6. Pierre Lieutaud (SMC) def. Toa Maeda (UH), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)

Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,3,5,6,4)
Hawai'i 6-4, 1-0 BW
Saint Mary's (CA) 5-6, 0-0 WCC

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