Top-Four Battle Goes to UCLA

LOS ANGELES – In a top-four men's tennis showdown in Westwood, No. 4 UCLA topped No. 3 Stanford, 4-0, Friday afternoon at Los Angeles Tennis Center, handing the Cardinal just its second defeat of the season.
 
The match evened the series between the two teams. Stanford defeated UCLA, 4-3, during the Dick Gould Stanford/SoCal Challenge at Taube Tennis Stadium in February.
 
The Bruins (18-2) are now tied with USC at the top of the Pac-12 standings at 3-0. The Cardinal (15-2) is alone in third place with a 2-1 conference record.
 
Friday's loss, which snapped a seven-match winning streak, was the first shutout by the Cardinal all season. Stanford's 15-2 record still matches its best start in 16 seasons. The 2002 Cardinal squad also began the year 15-1, before dropping its 17th match. Both of Stanford's losses so far this season have come to top-four teams in the No. 4 Bruins and No. 1 Wake Forest (Feb. 18).
 
In Friday's battle with the Bruins, the Cardinal surrendered the doubles point for just the third time all season. Timothy Sah and David Wilczynski dropped a 6-3 decision at No. 3, just the third loss in dual play this season for the Cardinal duo. UCLA clinched the point with a 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot, as the No. 25 doubles team of Tom Fawcett and Axel Geller lost for just the fourth time all season.
 
Fawcett, the nation's No. 10 ranked collegiate player, and UCLA's Martin Redlicki, the top player in the ITA rankings, staged a battle at No. 1 singles. Fawcett captured the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (4). The two were locked in a tight second set as well, with Redlicki holding a 4-3 advantage.
 
That was as far as the two standouts would battle, however. The match was abandoned as the Bruins picked up wins at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 to clinch the team victory.
 
Stanford will remain in Los Angeles to face No. 14 USC on Saturday at Marks Stadium at 1 p.m. PT.
 
No. 4 UCLA 4, No. 3 Stanford 0
 
Doubles
1. Martin Redlicki/Evan Zhu (UCLA) led No. 75 Sameer Kumar/Michael Genender (STAN) 5-4 unfinished
2. No. 33 Austin Rapp/Keegan Smith (UCLA) d. No. 25 Tom Fawcett/Axel Geller (STAN) 6-4
3. Maxime Cressy/Bryce Pereira (UCLA) d. Timothy Sah/David Wilczynski (STAN) 6-3
Order of Finish: 3,2
 
Singles
1. No. 10 Tom Fawcett (STAN) led No. 1 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) 7-6 (4), 3-4 unfinished
2. No. 102 Evan Zhu (UCLA) d. No. 50 Axel Geller (STAN) 6-4, 6-4
3. No. 45 Keegan Smith (UCLA) d. No. 71 Sameer Kumar (STAN) 6-3, 6-3
4. No. 66 Logan Staggs (UCLA) led Eric Fomba (STAN) 6-4, 4-4 unfinished
5. Maxime Cressy (UCLA) d. Michael Genender (STAN) 6-3, 6-2
6. William Genesen (STAN) vs. Connor Hance (UCLA) 2-6, 6-3 unfinished
Order of Finish: 3,2,5