REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Tennis team played late into the night Tuesday dropping a nailbiter 5-4 to UC Santa Cruz inside the Verdieck Tennis Center.
The Bulldogs were riding a two match-winning streak and now drop to 6-5, 1-0 SCIAC.
Redlands took one of three doubles matches and then split singles despite two of the matches going the distance in favor of the Banana Slugs. First-years Luca Davidorf (Atlanta, GA) and Josh Davydov (Bellevue, WA) were the first ones off falling 8-5 at No. 3. At the top spot, Nils Plutat (Sauerlach, Bavaria, Germany) and Bryce Keim (Spartanburg, S.C.) were able to level the match at 1-1 following an 8-6 win as they continue to remain hot this season playing together. It then came down to No. 2 from Stefan Hester (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) and Jack Mattox (Mercer Island, WA) who were edged in a breaker 8-7 (5) giving UCSC the 2-1 advantage.
In singles Mattox bounced back with the equalizer at No. 4 coming away with a straight sets win 6-2, 6-2. Donovan Lilov (San Diego, CA) followed giving UR an advantage 3-2 after he pulled out a 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 5. UCSC stopped the run at No. 3 earning a break in each set as Keim would fall 6-4, 6-3. Plutat, who was recently named the SCIAC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week remains perfect in singles over the past two weeks after he pulled out a 7-5, 6-2 win at the top spot improving to 4-0 over his last four matches. This put Redlands on top 4-3 with Hester and Davydov still on court, both down a set. In the end they both forced three-setters but neither could come away with the decisive point. Hester, at No. 2 came back from a set down at 6-4 to win 6-4 in the second before getting broken in the third and eventually falling 6-4.
This tied the match at 4-4 with it all coming down to the first-year at No. 6. Davydov dropped the opening frame 7-5 but managed to force an extra set with a 6-2 win in the second. In the third both players were on serve and Davydov attempted to send it to a breaker but was broken late falling 7-5.
Redlands returns to conference action this Friday, March 31 when they travel to take on Whittier College beginning at 3:00pm.
