The No. 2 seed Arizona men’s tennis team opened its Pac-12 Tournament campaign against the No. 7 seed USC on Thursday, April 25, at 3 p.m. in Ojai, California, at Libbey Park. Heading into this match, the Wildcats had won three consecutive games against the Trojans, and after the match Arizona made it four in a row. The Wildcats defeated the Trojans, 4-2, to advance to the Pac-12 Tournament Semifinals.
Now 22-3 on the season, Arizona has won five consecutive matches. Despite the Trojans’ best efforts in both singles and doubles play, it was not enough to overcome Arizona’s depth and skill. The Trojans’ season officially comes to an end at 7-16 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 7 USC – Thursday, April 25, 3 p.m.
In the Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinals at Libbey Park, Arizona clashed against USC in a thrilling day of matches. In a battle of endurance and skill, the Wildcats emerged victorious, bringing USC’s season to a close.
Arizona seized the early advantage in the doubles matches, claiming victories on courts one and two. Colton Smith and Jay Friend secured a hard-fought win for Arizona against USC’s Peter Makk and Oscar Weightman with a score of 7-5 on court one. Meanwhile, Herman Hoeyeraal and Eric Padgham of Arizona defeated USC’s Karl Lee and Samuel Rubell with a score of 6-3 on court two, giving Arizona the pivotal doubles point.
Transitioning to singles, Weightman notched a significant upset by defeating Friend in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 on court two. However, Arizona quickly regained momentum as No. 20 Smith battled past No. 76 Makk in a tightly contested match, securing a 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory on court one. Additionally, No. 71 Gustaf Strom defeated USC’s Lodewijk Weststrate with a score of 6-4, 6-1 on court three. Volodymyr Iakubenko provided a bright spot for USC, clinching a win over Hoeyeraal with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (5) on court four. However, Nick Lagaev sealed the victory for Arizona by defeating USC’s Rubell with a score of 6-3, 7-5 on court six.
Looking ahead:
Up next, the Wildcats will face the No. 6 seed University of Oregon on Friday, April 26 at 4 p.m.
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