For one of the few times this season, the doubles point was not the downfall for the Idaho men’s tennis team — the singles matches were.
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Tony Marcolina | uiargonaut.com Junior Abid Akbar returns a ball to Marius Cirstea during practice Feb. 15 in the Kibbie Dome. The men lost 3-4 to Arizona Saturday and face Nevada 3 p.m. Friday.
The Vandals (8-10) started Saturday’s match against the Arizona Wildcats by winning all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead, but eventually lost 4-3 after the top three players lost their singles matches.
The doubles point was Idaho’s first since March 3 when it swept Lewis-Clark State College. The loss puts the Vandals on a four-match losing streak.
Director of Tennis Jeff Beaman said the team lacked confidence after its last road trip, but felt better after Saturday’s match.
“It’s been an up and down year all season for us,” Beaman said. “The guys certainly lost some of their confidence out of the California trip, some players like Abid (Akbar) had to step up there and are still recovering.”
After the first point was secured in Boise, the Wildcats and Vandals traded blows while alternating wins in the first four singles matches. Jose Bendeck won 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 4 spot and Alan Shin secured a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory at the No. 6 slot, giving Idaho a 3-2 lead with two matches still in progress.
Then the tide turned in Arizona’s favor.
“It’s that age-old mantra ‘It’s not over until it’s over,’ but I felt confident in our chance to win this match from the time we walked on the court for warm-ups to sweeping the doubles point,” Beaman said. “Arizona is a very talented and resilient team who were able to pull out a win.”
Following Akbar and Cristobal Ramos-Salazar at the No. 2 and 3 spots, the Vandals No. 1, Marius Cirstea, fell 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Arizona’s Giacomo Miccini to tie the match. But, Cesar Torres went down 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 5 slot to the Wildcats’ Kieron Thompson, giving Arizona its fifth win of the season and breaking its two-match losing streak.
“Learning how to finish a match and to keep doing what you know what you can is one of the biggest things we’ve been working on,” Beaman said “Sometimes when a really good and strong player is down a set, they will show how much fight they have in them. Good players don’t like to be backed in a corner.”
Idaho travels back to Boise for the Boise State Tournament March 23 to take on Nevada in its second WAC match of the season.
“Nevada is a much improved side and we are a down side from last year, which should lead to a competitive match,” Beaman said. “It will come down to our team’s will, and if we have six guys ready to compete and win.”
Madison McCord can be reached at
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