April 20, 2013
STANFORD, Calif.- No. 42 Stanford dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 18 California on Saturday afternoon at Taube Family Tennis Stadium in the final regular-season match of the year for both teams.
Stanford (11-10, 3-4 Pac-12) lost for the first time in two weeks, snapping a three-match winning streak that helped build a case for an NCAA Tournament berth. The Cardinal is assured of at least one more dual match at next week's Pac-12 Championships and can snag the conference's automatic bid by winning the event.
California (13-8, 5-1 Pac-12), which defeated Stanford 5-2 in Berkeley back on Feb. 24 in the non-counting Pac-12 match, has won two straight after losing five in a row to the Cardinal in the all-time series.
Stanford captured the doubles point, sweeping all three matches to take a 1-0 lead. The clincher came from the No. 1 spot, where Denis Lin and John Morrissey outlasted Cal's top duo 9-7, seconds before Jamin Ball and Daniel Ho booked a win at No. 3.
But the Golden Bears also lost the doubles point in the earlier meeting, and used a similar recipe this time around to regroup for the win.
California controlled the top half of the lineup, receiving a 6-2, 6-4 victory from Ben McLachlan over Morrissey in a battle of ranked players at the No.1 spot to even the match at 1-1.
Trey Strobel momentarily put Stanford back in front 2-1, defeating Wyatt Houghton 6-2, 6-4 on court six for his seventh consecutive victory.
But Christoffer Konigsfeldt followed with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Nolan Paige at the No. 2 spot, knotting the match at 2-2.
With the remaining matches on courts 3-5 all into their third sets, California took a 3-2 lead when Campbell Johnson outlasted Maciek Romanowicz 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at the No. 3 position.
The clincher came on court four, where Gregory Bayane rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Robert Stineman.
Ho's 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win on court five accounted for Stanford's third point.
Denis Lin and Walker Kehrer were honored in a Senior Day ceremony following the doubles point. The foursome has led Stanford to a 72-31 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances, the last two of which resulted in quarterfinal finishes.
Stanford is back in action next week at the Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, Calif.
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No. 18 California 4, No. 42 Stanford 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 68 Denis Lin/Morrissey (STAN) d. No. 33 Johnson/Konigsfeldt (CAL) 9-7
2) Romanowicz/Stineman (STAN) d. No. 56 Engsted/McLachlan (CAL) 8-6
3) Jamin Ball/Ho (STAN) d. Bayane/Chase Melton (CAL) 8-6
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
SINGLES
1) No. 37 Ben McLachlan (CAL) d. No. 42 John Morrissey (STAN) 6-2, 6-4
2) No. 78 Christoffer Konigsfeldt (CAL) d. No. 109 Nolan Paige (STAN) 6-4, 6-1
3) No. 56 Campbell Johnson (CAL) d. Maciek Romanowicz (STAN) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
4) Gregory Bayane (CAL) d. Robert Stineman (STAN) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
5) Daniel Ho (STAN) d. Mads Engsted (CAL) 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3
6) Trey Strobel (STAN) d. Wyatt Houghton (CAL) 6-2, 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 2, 3, 4, 5