After falling into a 3-0 deficit, the Seattle University men's tennis team attempted a comeback but ran out of steam falling 5-2 to Eastern Washington Saturday at The Sammamish Club in Issaquah, Wash.
After dropping the doubles point, the Redhawks fell into a 3-0 hole with singles losses Jason Bediones (Kent, Wash.) and Kevin Lynch (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at Nos. 4 and 1 singles, respectively. Will Topp (Olympia, Wash.), however, kept the Redhawks' chances alive with a three-set victory over Tomas Aranguiz of Eastern Washington at No. 2 singles. Topp lost the first set 1-6, but turned it on in the second and third sets, winning both by a score of 6-2 for his fourth singles victory of the year.
Minutes later, Zach Kosanke (Bellevue, Wash.) added another point for the Redhawks with a win in the third singles position. Facing the Eagles' Eduardo Bringold, Kosanke prevailed in consecutive 6-4 sets to even his dual singles record at 4-4.
The Redhawks' run fell short after the fifth singles match ended. Ian Clare (Sachse, Texas) hung tough but couldn't manage set win during a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Luke Thompson to clinch the match for Eastern Washington.
To conclude the match, Kyle Rapp (Encinitas, Calif.) squared off against Stefan Farrar at No. 6 singles. Rapp and Farrar swapped the first two sets with Farrar winning the first 6-3 and Rapp taking the second 4-6. Farrar, however, prevailed in the super tiebreak to decide the match 10-5.
The doubles point that opened the match was hotly contested as a tiebreak decided which team would get the point. Eastern Washington's duo of Martinez and Thompson took down Rapp and Flavio Malagutti (Rio Claro, Brazil) of the Redhawks in the third doubles position, a move which SU countered with an 8-5 victory from Bediones and Lynch at No. 2 doubles. At No. 1 doubles, Seattle U's Topp and Kosanke played a tight match with Eastern Washington's Koetje and Aranguiz, forcing a tiebreak before the Eagles' pair pulled out the win 8-7(7-4) and claimed the doubles point.
Seattle University (0-9) takes a month off before its next dual, a home match against Idaho on Sunday, March 10. The contest with the Vandals will be SU's first Western Athletic Conference match and is slated for a 9:00 a.m. start at Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle, Wash.
Eastern Washington 5, Seattle University 2
Doubles
1) Koetje/Aranguiz (EWU) def. Topp/Kosanke (SU) 8-7(7-4)
2) Bediones/Lynch (SU) def. Bringold/Carpio (EWU) 8-5
3) Martinez/Thompson(EWU) def. Rapp/Malagutti (SU) 8-0
Order: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1) Eduardo Martinez (EWU) def. Kevin Lynch (SU) 6-4, 6-3
2) Will Topp (SU) def. Tomas Aranguiz (EWU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
3) Zach Kosanke (SU) def. Eduardo Bringold (EWU) 6-4, 6-4
4) Kyle Koetje (EWU) def. Jason Bediones (SU) 6-4, 6-0
5) Luke Thompson (EWU) def. Ian Clare (SU) 6-4, 6-4
6) Stefan Farrar (EWU) def. Kyle Rapp (SU) 6-3, 4-6, (10-5)
Order: 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6