STANFORD, Calif. – Rivalry matches are known to raise the stakes and add heightened emotions and Tuesday's match against the 6th-ranked Cal Golden Bears proved no different as the 41st-ranked Cardinal stunned its Bay Area and Pac-12 rival in a 4-3 thriller.
Opening with doubles, the Cardinal (7-3) hung tight with the Bears after coming off back-to-back doubles wins against USC and UCLA. Stanford wasn't able to repeat that success though as Cal (9-2) took a 6-4 win at No. 1 before closing out the point with a 7-5(7).
Sameer Kumar started the come as he came out of the gate to dominate the 30th-ranked Andre Goransso, 6-3, 6-1 to tie it. The Bears came back to take a win at the No. 4 spot, but David Wilczynski immediately tied the score again at No. 5, topping Bjorn Hoffman in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
Tom Fawcett came in next with a huge win against No. 14 Florian Lakat after surging back to win the first set in a tiebreak before ripping to a 6-4 second set win to put the Cardinal on the edge of an upset.
Michael Genender played the hero of the night after taking set one 6-2, Filip Bergevi scrapped back into to the match with a tiebreak win in the second set.
In a thrilling back-and-forth gritfest both Genender and Bergevi traded the lead off several times before a tiebreak would decide it. Knotting the tiebreak on three different occasions, Genender played patient and pushed the Bear to the limit to finally clinch the win with an 11-9 final.
The Cardinal continues its grueling week this weekend as it hosts No. 8 Texas and No. 31 TCU on Friday and Saturday. Match time against Texas on Friday is 3 p.m. PT at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
No. 41 Stanford 4, No. 6 Cal 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 1 Bergevi/Lakat (CAL) d. Fawcett/Genesen (STAN) 6-4
2) No. 54 Goransson/Griffith (CAL) d. Genender/Kumar (STAN) 7-5(7)
3) Sutter/Wilczynski (STAN) vs. Hoffman/Nishimura (CAL) 6-6, susp.
Order of Finish: 1, 2
SINGLES
1) #13 Tom Fawcett (STAN) d. No. 14 Florian Lakat (CAL) 7-6(5), 6-4
2) Sameer Kumar (STAN) d. No. 30 Andre Goransson 6-3, 6-1
3) No. 92 Michael Genender (STAN) d. No. 109 Filip Bergevi (CAL) 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(9)
4) No. 53 Billy Griffith (CAL) def. No. 89 Jack Barber (STAN) 6-3, 6-1
5) David Wilczynski (STAN) d. Bjorn Hoffmann (CAL) 6-2, 6-1
6) J.T. Nishimura (CAL) d. Brandon Sutter (STAN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5, 1, 6, 3
