STANFORD, Calif. - No. 11 Stanford overcame an early deficit with strong singles play, defeating No. 10 UCLA 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
Despite losing the doubles point, Stanford (4-1) rebounded from Friday's 6-1 loss to No. 3 USC with a victory over the Bruins in the second half of the Dick Gould Stanford/SoCal Challenge.
UCLA (3-2) seized a 1-0 lead after doubles, with the point decided at the top spot when Govind Nanda and Keegan Smith outlasted Axel Geller and Neel Rajesh 7-6 (12).
The Cardinal quickly responded in singles, with Sangeet Sridhar (6-3, 6-2 at No. 3) and Filip Kolasinski (6-4, 6-3 at No. 6) contributing straight-set victories.
The Bruins evened the match at 2-2 following Nanda's 6-1, 7-5 triumph over Alexandre Rotsaert on court two.
Timothy Sah's 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win at No. 4 put the Cardinal on the brink of clinching before Axel Geller's 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory at the No. 1 position made it official.
Stanford's six-match homestand continues on Friday, Feb. 7, when Grand Canyon visits The Farm.
No. 11 Stanford 4, No. 10 UCLA 2
DOUBLES
1) Nanda/Smith (UCLA) d. Geller/Rajesh (STAN) 7-6 (12)
2) Sah/Sridhar (STAN) d. Baird/Connor Rapp (UCLA) 6-4
3) Pereira/Zahraj (UCLA) d. Tomas Kopczynski/Rotsaert (STAN) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
SINGLES
1) Axel Geller (STAN) d. No. 7 Keegan Smith (UCLA) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
2) Govind Nanda (UCLA) d. No. 18 Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) 6-1, 7-5
3) No. 54 Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) d. Drew Baird (UCLA) 6-3, 6-2
4) Timothy Sah (STAN) d. Ben Goldberg (UCLA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
5) Neel Rajesh (STAN) led Patrick Zahraj (UCLA) 6-1, 5-7, 5-1, unfinished
6) Filip Kolasinski (STAN) d. Eric Hahn (UCLA) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2, 4, 1