Feb. 24, 2012
Lions 5 – Highlanders 2
UCR men’s tennis lost its second consecutive match against Loyola Marymount after previously losing to UCSD. The Highlanders won a couple of matches in singles action but it was not enough to claim the victory against LMU’s fine form.
UCR started in negative fashion after dropping the doubles point. Highlanders Felix Macherez and Austin Andres were beaten at court No. 1 thanks to an impressive performance by LMU’s Todd Volmari and Daniel Simko (8-5). At court No. 2, LMU’s Jack Zapala and Felix Van Kann dominated UCR’s Kevin Griffin and Jimmy Roberts (8-3). In the final doubles match of the afternoon, the Lions once more controlled the Highlanders from end to end and claimed the doubles point by winning all three matches.
In singles action, UCR claimed two points thanks to victories by Felix Macherez and Austin Andres. Team captain Austin Andres came from behind to defeat LMU’s Todd Volmari. The game started off with Volmari on top as he won the first set by a wide margin. Yet, Andres showed character and overcame his rival by putting on an impressive offensive display on the second and third sets. The final result was 1-6, 6-4, (10-8). UCR’s Felix Macherez got the second point for the Highlanders in a close match against LMU’s Alex Wilton; both players fought every point fiercely, but it was Macherez who at the end got the upper hand thanks to a solid defense and an effective offense. Yet, the two points obtained by Andres and Macherez weren’t enough for the Highlanders to win the fixture. LMU won the four remaining singles matches comfortably and claimed an overall victory of 5-2 over the Highlanders.
Feb. 26, 2012
Gaels 6 – Highlanders 1
UCR men’s tennis played in its second fixture of the weekend on Sunday afternoon against Saint Mary’s College at Los Angeles, CA. The Highlanders were looking to get back on the winning track after slumping in four of the last five matches.
In doubles action, UCR got the opening win at court No. 1 as Felix Macherez and Austin Andres defeated in a tight match SMC’s Joakim Norstrom and Steven Dawson-Roberts; both Highlanders and Gaels fought every point fiercely, but it was Macherez’s finesse and Andres’s power that ultimately won the match for UCR. Even though the opening match was great for UCR, Highlanders Kevin Griffin and Jimmy Roberts were unable to pick up the second win as they lost to SMC’s Maxime Olivan and Saad Benkirane by 8-1 at court No. 2. Saint Mary’s claimed the doubles point thanks to a dominating victory at court No. 3 by Seif El Sherbini and Sherif Hamdy over UCR’s Luis Gastao and Simon Peters by 8-1.
In singles action, the Gaels proved their ability on the court and dominated the Highlanders easily. UCR team captain Austin Andres suffered a hard defeat against SMC’s Sherif Hamd. Both players were looking to add positive results to their personal records for the season. Hamdy proved that his tennis is at its peak as he swept Andres by 6-0, 6-0. Highlander Felix Macherez was also beaten by SMC’s Maxime Olivan 6-2, 6-0. UCR’s lone point of the afternoon was claimed by Jimmy Roberts at court No. 2 after defeating Saad Benkirane in a tight match where Roberts came from behind. The final result of the match was 3-6, 7-5, (10-8).
Next for the Highlanders is a visit from Montana State to the SRC tennis courts on March 12.
