San Francisco, Calif. - The Pacific men's tennis team picked up four victories as they battled late into the night at the Battle in the Bay Classic at the Cal Club Friday. Alex Golding won his singles match and teamed with Alex Hamilton for a doubles victory before play wrapped up just before midnight.
"I am so proud of the guys and the Pacific Tigers today," Ryan Redondo, head coach and Director of Tennis, said. "Most importantly, the guys fought and played a very high level of tennis against some of the best competition in the West. We started the day with our warm up at 7:30am and didn't finish our last match until midnight. Beating players from Pepperdine and CAL show the level of talent and determination our guys have."
Golding and Hamilton took down Cal's Mads Engsted and Campbell Johnson to advance to the second round, where they will meet San Francisco's Thai Tu and Will Schumacher.
Golding topped Schumacher in singles play, posting a straight-sets victory, 6-4, 6-3. In his second round match, Golding took the first set from San Diego's Victor Pugliese, before giving way 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Sem Verbeek added a singles victory, knocking out Pepperdine's Kento Tanaka Tamakih in three sets, answered a 7-5 loss in set one with a 6-4 win in set two and a 7-6 win via third tiebreaker in set three.
Denis Stolyarov added a consolation draw win in straight sets over Pepperdine's David Sofaer.
Verbeek opens Saturday's action with a second round match, while Golding and Hamilton are set to face main draw doubles match against USD's Ciaran Fitzgerald and Romain Kalaydjian. Hamilton and Stolyarov will also continue consolation singles play.
Pacific Results
First Round
USD Ciaran Fitzgerald def. PAC Denis Stolyarov 6-4, 6-4
PAC Alex Golding def. USF Will Schumacher 6-4, 6-3
PAC Sem Verbeek def. PEP Kento Tanaka Tamakih 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (3)
CP Marco Comuzzo def. PAC Alex Hamilton 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3
Second Round
USD Victor Pugliese def. Alex Golding 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Consolation Draw:
PAC Denis Stolyarov def. PEP David Sofaer 6-4 6-1
Doubles:
PAC Alex Golding/Alex Hamilton def. CAL Mads Engsted/Campbell Johnson 8-6
BSU Richard Bucalem/Scott Sears 8-6 def. PAC Denis Stolyarov/Sem Verbeek vs
