SeattleU Men?s Tennis Pulls Out 4-3 Victory Over Saint Peter?s

In the team's toughest battle of the season, the Seattle University men's tennis squad picked up the important doubles point and split the singles matches, leading to a 4-3 victory over Saint Peter's College Sunday morning in a neutral-site contest at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The number three doubles team of Patrick Boorkman (Bellevue, Wash.) and Adam Strizich (Helena, Mont.) had the easiest victory, an 8-4 win over Luccas Coutinho and Andrew Musyoka. The other two doubles sets were close enough to warrant extra points, with Mark Shkretbtan (Redmond, Wash.) and Yusuke Kanehira (Setagaya, Japan) earning a 9-7 win in the number one doubles spot, and Alex Montgomery (Seattle, Wash.) and Simon Meske (Tacoma, Wash.) winning the number two doubles match by earning the tiebreaker, 8-6.

Shkretbtan helped the team's cause with a three-set victory in the number one singles match over Sergey Igel (6-4, 0-6, 6-3). Meske had a much easier time in winning his match in the number three position (6-0, 6-0), and Kanehira also notched a straight-set victory over Coutinho in the number six slot (6-2, 6-1).

The three SeattleU losses were close ones, including a three-set loss by Andrew Tran (Portland, Ore.), who came back to win the second set and force a third set tiebreaker before finally succumbing to Chris Frakes (6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4)). Montgomery lost to Robert Forai in the number two position (7-5, 6-4), and Boorkman went to a second-set tiebreaker before losing to Musyoka in the number four spot (6-4, 7-6 (8-6)).

The victory was SeattleU's first over a Division I opponent since the tennis program was reestablished last year. The previous four victories this season as well as the team's four wins last year all came against non-Division I opposition. After earning just three points in nine Division I matches last season, SeattleU had shown improvement with two points against both UC Irvine and Portland State earlier this year.  

Seattle University (5-9) will return home and welcome Pacific Lutheran to the Amy Yee Tennis Club next Friday, March 19, at 2:30 p.m. It is scheduled to be the final home match of the season for the Redhawk men's tennis team.

Seattle University vs. Saint Peter's College

Sunday, March 14, 2010 - Colorado Springs, Colo.

Seattle University 4, Saint Peter's College 3

Singles

1. Mark Shkretbtan (SU) def. Sergey Igel (SPC): 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
2. Robert Forai (SPC) def. Alex Montgomery (SU): 7-5, 6-4
3. Simon Meske (SU) def. JJ Gramatica (SPC): 6-0, 6-0
4. Andrew Musyoka (SPC) def. Patrick Boorkman (SU): 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)
5. Chris Frakes (SPC) def. Andrew Tran (SU): 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4)
6. Yusuke Kanehira (SU) def. Luccas Coutinho (SPC): 6-2, 6-1

Doubles

1. Shkretbtan/Kanehira (SU) def. Alex Frakes/Chris Frakes (SPC): 9-7
2. Montgomery/Meske (SU) def. Igel/Gramatica (SPC): 8-7 (8-6)
3. Boorkman/Adam Strizich (SU) def. Coutinho/Musyoka (SPC): 8-4