LOS ANGELES – The No. 24 UCLA men's tennis team dropped its Pac-12 opener to No. 20 Arizona State by a 4-2 score Friday at Los Angeles Tennis Center. Three singles matches reached three sets, with one left unfinished.
Constantinos Koshis clinched the win for Arizona State (13-6, 1-0 Pac-12), which narrowly took the doubles point to begin matters. The Bruins (7-5, 0-1) got singles victories from Govind Nanda, who took down the nation's third-ranked player, and Gianluca Ballotta.
It was a two-win day for Nanda, who teamed with Jorge Plans Gonzalez to get UCLA off on the right foot in doubles play. The Bruins faced a 0-3 deficit against Nicola Cigna and Daniel Phillips on Court 3, but charged back to prevail by a 6-4 margin. ASU's 62nd-ranked team of Bor Artnak and Max McKennon answered on the top court, however, defeating Timothy Li and Giacomo Revelli 6-3.
A tiebreaker was in the cards on Court 2. UCLA's pair of Spencer Johnson and Emon van Loben Sels fought off a pair of match points, but were unable to capitalize on two of its own. In the end, Jacob Bullard and Murphy Cassone won 7-6(9).
No. 28 Nanda pulled the Bruins level in singles play with a career-best performance on Court 1. He had previously notched one top-10 win in his career, but never versus a top-five counterpart. The 6-4, 6-2 display opposite No. 3 Cassone made the overall score 1-1.
The Sun Devils moved closer to the deciding point as No. 94 Artnak got the best of Revelli 6-4, 6-2 on Court 2 and Roi Ginat followed by beating Aadarsh Tripathi 7-5, 6-3 on Court 5.
Ballota cut ASU's lead in half with a comeback performance on Court 4. The Lima, Peru native's 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Bullard was his second singles victory in as many tries.
On Court 6, Koshis outlasted van Loben Sels 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to cap the near-four-hour team competition.
UCLA will try to bounce back Sunday, when welcomes No. 6 Arizona to LATC. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT.
Tennis Match Results
Arizona State vs UCLA
3/22/2024 at Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)
#20 Arizona State 4, #24 UCLA 2
Singles competition
1. #28 Govind Nanda (UCLA) def. #3 Murphy Cassone (ASU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #94 Bor Artnak (ASU) def. Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
3. Spencer Johnson (UCLA) vs. Max McKennon (ASU) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 4-5, unfinished
4. Gianluca Ballotta (UCLA) def. Jacob Bullard (ASU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Roi Ginat (ASU) def. Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA) 7-5, 6-3
6. Constantinos Koshis (ASU) def. Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #62 Bor Artnak/Max McKennon (ASU) def. Timothy Li/Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) 6-3
2. Jacob Bullard/Murphy Cassone (ASU) def. Spencer Johnson/Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) 7-6 (11-9)
3. Govind Nanda/Jorge Plans Gonzalez (UCLA) def. Nicola Cigna/Daniel Phillips (ASU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Arizona State 13-6; National ranking #20
UCLA 7-5; National ranking #24
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,2,5,4,6)
Constantinos Koshis clinched the win for Arizona State (13-6, 1-0 Pac-12), which narrowly took the doubles point to begin matters. The Bruins (7-5, 0-1) got singles victories from Govind Nanda, who took down the nation's third-ranked player, and Gianluca Ballotta.
It was a two-win day for Nanda, who teamed with Jorge Plans Gonzalez to get UCLA off on the right foot in doubles play. The Bruins faced a 0-3 deficit against Nicola Cigna and Daniel Phillips on Court 3, but charged back to prevail by a 6-4 margin. ASU's 62nd-ranked team of Bor Artnak and Max McKennon answered on the top court, however, defeating Timothy Li and Giacomo Revelli 6-3.
A tiebreaker was in the cards on Court 2. UCLA's pair of Spencer Johnson and Emon van Loben Sels fought off a pair of match points, but were unable to capitalize on two of its own. In the end, Jacob Bullard and Murphy Cassone won 7-6(9).
No. 28 Nanda pulled the Bruins level in singles play with a career-best performance on Court 1. He had previously notched one top-10 win in his career, but never versus a top-five counterpart. The 6-4, 6-2 display opposite No. 3 Cassone made the overall score 1-1.
The Sun Devils moved closer to the deciding point as No. 94 Artnak got the best of Revelli 6-4, 6-2 on Court 2 and Roi Ginat followed by beating Aadarsh Tripathi 7-5, 6-3 on Court 5.
Ballota cut ASU's lead in half with a comeback performance on Court 4. The Lima, Peru native's 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Bullard was his second singles victory in as many tries.
On Court 6, Koshis outlasted van Loben Sels 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to cap the near-four-hour team competition.
UCLA will try to bounce back Sunday, when welcomes No. 6 Arizona to LATC. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT.
Tennis Match Results
Arizona State vs UCLA
3/22/2024 at Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)
#20 Arizona State 4, #24 UCLA 2
Singles competition
1. #28 Govind Nanda (UCLA) def. #3 Murphy Cassone (ASU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #94 Bor Artnak (ASU) def. Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
3. Spencer Johnson (UCLA) vs. Max McKennon (ASU) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 4-5, unfinished
4. Gianluca Ballotta (UCLA) def. Jacob Bullard (ASU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Roi Ginat (ASU) def. Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA) 7-5, 6-3
6. Constantinos Koshis (ASU) def. Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #62 Bor Artnak/Max McKennon (ASU) def. Timothy Li/Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) 6-3
2. Jacob Bullard/Murphy Cassone (ASU) def. Spencer Johnson/Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) 7-6 (11-9)
3. Govind Nanda/Jorge Plans Gonzalez (UCLA) def. Nicola Cigna/Daniel Phillips (ASU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Arizona State 13-6; National ranking #20
UCLA 7-5; National ranking #24
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,2,5,4,6)