UCLA
Stanford
Men's Tennis Edged at Stanford, 4-2
February 01, 2020 | Men's Tennis
STANFORD, Calif. – The No. 10 UCLA men's tennis team dropped the second 4-2 decision of its non-conference trip to Northern California on Saturday afternoon, falling to No. 11 Stanford at Taube Tennis Center.
The Bruins (3-2) got off on the right foot, earning the doubles point in thrilling fashion. Sophomore Govind Nanda would post their only win the rest of the way, however, as the Cardinal (4-1) won two third sets to account for the difference in final score. Axel Geller clinched the victory, dispatching of junior Keegan Smith on the top court.
The tandem of junior Bryce Pereira and sophomore Patrick Zahraj ensured a strong start for UCLA, registering a 6-2 result over Tomas Kopczynski and Alexandre Rotsaert on Court 3. Stanford would pull even on Court 2, though, as Timothy Sah and Sangeet Sridhar edged freshman Drew Baird and redshirt junior Connor Rapp by a 6-4 score.
That left the doubles point to be decided on Court 1, where Nanda and Smith went to a tiebreaker with Geller and Neel Rajesh. The Cardinal pair held match point at 6-3 and five other times, but the Bruins answered on each occasion. Nanda/Smith would ultimately pull out a 14-12 win and the day's first point.
Stanford won four first sets in singles play to shift momentum onto its side. Sangeet Sridhar, ranked 54th nationally, pulled the Cardinal even with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Baird on Court 3. Another straight-set decision followed on Court 6, where Kolasinski bested UCLA sophomore Eric Hahn by a 6-4, 6-1 score to give Stanford the lead.
Nanda tied the score again on Court 2, where he defeated No. 18 Alexandre Rotsaert, 6-1, 7-5, for his third win over a top-50 opponent in a row. It also avenged a three-set loss that Nanda suffered at the hands of Rotsaert in the semifinal round of the Sherwood Collegiate Cup singles tournament last month.
Senior Ben Goldberg of the Bruins showed resolve on Court 4, forcing a third against Timothy Sah. A back-and-forth final frame went the way of Sah, however, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
No. 7 Smith narrowly won his first set, only to have Geller charge back and force a third. There, the Cardinal's top-court player finished the job for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory to clinch the overall decision.
UCLA will be off until Feb. 11, when it stops en route to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis. to face Western Michigan. The Bruins and Broncos will meet at the Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago, with first serve scheduled for 10 a.m., PT.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Stanford
2/1/2020 at Stanford, CA
(Taube Tennis Center)
#11 Stanford 4, #10 UCLA 2
Singles competition
1. Axel Geller (STAN) def. #7 Keegan Smith (UCLA) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
2. Govind Nanda (UCLA) def. #18 Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) 6-1, 7-5
3. #54 Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) def. Drew Baird (UCLA) 6-3, 6-2
4. Timothy Sah (STAN) def. Ben Goldberg (UCLA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
5. Neel Rajesh (STAN) vs. Patrick Zahraj (UCLA) 6-1, 5-7, 5-1, unfinished
6. Filip Kolasinski (STAN) def. Eric Hahn (UCLA) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Govind Nanda/Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. Axel Geller/Neel Rajesh (STAN) 7-6 (14-12)
2. Timothy Sah/Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) def. Drew Baird/Connor Rapp (UCLA) 6-4
3. Bryce Pereira/Patrick Zahraj (UCLA) def. Tomas Kopczynski/Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) 6-2
Match Notes:
UCLA 3-2; National ranking #10
Stanford 4-1; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,6,2,4,1)
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,6,2,4,1
Players Mentioned
