Feb. 16, 2007

Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific men's tennis team opened the 2007 spring season with a 6-1 loss to Oregon on Friday, Feb. 16.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 0-1 on the season, while the Ducks moved to 7-2 overall.

Sophomore Moritz Starke (Bamberg, Germany) earned the Tigers' first singles victory of the 2007 season as he defeated Oregon's Marco Verdasco, 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 1 position. Starke also teamed with senior Vladimir Zdravkovic (Pancevo, Serbia and Montenegro) to take the top doubles match, 8-4 over Alex Cornelissen and Geoff Embry.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, Oregon earned four straight-set victories in singles competition to secure the team victory. The Ducks also earned an addition point in singles play and the doubles point for the 6-1 win.

The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 18 as the Tigers open Big West Conference play in Riverside, Calif. against the UC Riverside Highlanders. The match with the Highlanders is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

Results: Oregon 6, Pacific 1
Doubles: (Oregon wins doubles point 2-1)
No. 1: Vladimir Zdravkovic / Moritz Starke (PAC) def. Alex Cornelissen/Geoff Embry (UO), 8-4
No. 2: Francisco Gallardo/Marcos Verdasco (UO) def. Alan Kelly / Robert Price (PAC), 8-4
No. 3: Ric Mortera/Stephen Wiechert (UO) def. Vegerd Veskimagi / Ahad Ebrahim, 8-2

Singles:
No. 1: Starke (PAC) def. Verdasco (UO), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2: Cornelissen (UO) def. Zdravkovic (PAC), 6-2, 6-0
No. 3: Gallardo (UO) def. Veskimagi (PAC), 4-6, 7-6(2), (4)
No. 4: Mike Myrhed (UO) def. Kelly (PAC), 6-1, 6-2
No. 5: Embry (UO) def. Austin Kakar (PAC), 6-0, 6-4
No. 6: Eric Pickard (UO) def. Ebrahim (PAC), 6-3, 6-2