Feb. 4, 2006
Sophomore Chris Rasmussen beat UCLA's Jeremy Drean in the deciding match today as the No. 12 Cardinal upset the No. 4 ranked Bruins 4-3 at the Taube Tennis Center. The win improved Stanford's record to 3-0 as the Cardinal beat both USC and UCLA in "The Stanford Challenge" the past two days.
The Bruins entered today's match undefeated and ranked among the elite teams in the country. A year ago, UCLA beat Stanford twice by identical 4-3 scores. Today, it was Stanford's turn to come away with a 4-3 win.
Rasmussen, from Moraga, Calif., is returning to the Cardinal after redshirting the 2005 season. He was a part-time starter for Stanford as a freshman in 2004 and has played No. 6 singles in two of the Cardinal's three dual matches this year. With the match tied at 3-3, Rasmussen gave the Cardinal the victory by beating the Bruins' Drean 7-5, 6-4.
The Bruins led 1-0 after doubles competition as UCLA won all three matches, including Philipp Gruendler and Benjamin Kohlloeff beating Stanford's James Pade at No. 1 doubles, 8-6. Corkery and Pade are currently the fifth ranked doubles team in the nation
Stanford won four of the six singles matches despite playing without freshman Matt Bruch, who is ranked No. 4 in the nation in singles. Corkery was defeated by Benjamin Kohlloeff at No. 1 singles by scores of 6-0 and 6-2. Kohloeff is ranked third in the nation in singles while Corkery is ranked 21st. Stanford then came back to record straight set wins at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles to take a 3-2 lead. Pade beat the Bruins' Haythem Abid 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2, James Wan handed Mathieu Dehain a 6-2, 6-2 defeat at No. 3 singles and freshman Blake Muller of Stanford beat Philipp Gruendler, 6-0, 6-4.
UCLA tied the match at 3-3 when Chris Surapol of UCLA beat the Cardinal's Phil Kao at No. 5 singles in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, setting up the deciding match between Rasmussen and Drean.
The Cardinal returns to action on February 10 when they host U.C. Irvine in a 5:00 pm match at the Taube Tennis Center.
Non-Conference: Stanford 4, UCLA 3
Doubles (UCLA wins doubles point)
1. Philipp Gruendler/Benjamin Kohlloeff (UCLA) d. KC Corkery/James Pade (S), 8-6
2. Haythem Abid/Chris Surapol (UCLA) Jon Wong/Blake Muller (S), 8-7
3. Mathieu Dehaine/Aaron Yovan (UCLA) d. James Wan/Chris Rasmussen (S), 8-5
Singles
1. Benjamin Kohlloeff (UCLA) d. KC Corkery (S), 6-0, 6-2
2. James Pade (S) d. Haythem Abid (UCLA), 6-2, 6-3
3. James Wan (S) Mathieu Dehaine (UCLA), 6-2, 6-2
4. Blake Muller (S) Philipp Gruendler (UCLA), 6-0, 6-4
5. Chris Surapol (UCLA) d. Phil Kao (S), 6-2, 6-1
6. Chris Rasmussen (S) d. Jeremy Drean (UCLA), 7-5, 6-4
Doubles order of finish: 1, 3*, 2
Singles order of finish: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*
* clinching match
Records: UCLA (4-1), Stanford (3-0)
Rankings: UCLA No. 4, Stanford No. 12