IRVINE, Calif. – Despite a dominant start in doubles play, the University of Hawaiʻi men's tennis team fell just short in a 4-2 Big West battle against UC Irvine on Friday afternoon at the Arnhold Tennis Stadium.

The Rainbow Warriors (9-9, 2-3 Big West) showcased their doubles prowess early to snatch the match's opening point. The duo of Adriano Dzhenev and Kent Mueller set the tone with a swift 6-1 victory at the No. 3 spot. After the Anteaters evened the count at No. 1, the pair of Toa Maeda and Azuma Visaya came through in the clutch, securing a 7-5 win at the No. 2 court to give UH the 1-0 lead.

However, the Anteaters' depth proved difficult to overcome in the California heat. UC Irvine picked up straight-set wins at the top two flights to regain the lead. 

Dzhenev continued his strong day, providing a bright spot for the Bows at the No. 4 position. Dzhenev displayed ice-cold composure in a pair of tight sets, defeating Sohrob Amiryavari 7-5, 7-5 to keep Hawaiʻi within striking distance.

The match eventually came down to a pair of grueling three-setters at the bottom of the lineup. Both Maeda (No. 6) and Mueller (No. 5) won their respective opening sets, but UCI managed to flip the script in both matches to clinch the overall victory.

The Rainbow Warriors have a quick turnaround as they head to La Jolla on Sunday to face UC San Diego. The match is scheduled for 11 a.m HT. This match will also conclude regular season play for the 'Bows.


Hawaii 2, UC Irvine 4
Apr. 17, 2026 at Irvine, Calif.
(Arnhold Tennis Stadium)

Singles Competition
1. Hiroki Sakagawa (UCI) def. Azuma Visaya (UH), 6-2, 6-2
2. Max Fardanesh (UCI) def. Timothy Li (UH), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
3. Kosuke Nakanishi (UH) vs. Tal Goodman (UCI), DNF 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 5-0
4. Adriano Dzhenev (UH) def. Sohrob Amiryavari (UCI), 7-5, 7-5
5. Rui Ning Huang (UCI) def. Kent Mueller (UH), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Gregory Gamal (UCI) def. Toa Maeda (UH), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Doubles Competition
1. Sachdev/Fardanesh (UCI) def. Li/Nakanishi (UH), 6-4
2. Maeda/Visaya (UH) def. Goodman/Sakagawa (UCI), 7-5
3. Mueller/Dzhenev (UH) def. Amiryavari/Guajardo (UCI), 6-1

Match Notes
UC Irvine: 12-7, 4-1 Big West
Hawaii: 9-9, 2-3 Big West
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,2,4,6,5)