By
David Stevenson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona rolls through non-conference tuneup matches
After scoring two wins in two days, the men's tennis team is eager to greet a well-earned rest.
"A lot of the guys don't feel well, so the rest will have us work back into the mix of things," sophomore Tom Lloyd said.
No. 49 UA (4-1 overall, 0-1 Pacific 10 Conference) upended Utah (1-1), 6-1 yesterday at the Robson Tennis Center.
Lloyd, still recovering from an illness, clinched the victory for the second straight day by defeating junior Nicholas Yip, 6-3, 6-4. During the second match, Yip reeled off three straight points to knot the score at four, causing Lloyd to focus on Yip's backhand.
"I noticed (the weakness) during warm-ups and everything," Lloyd said. "It was definitely the weaker and go-to shot."
Lloyd punished Yip's weakness and swept the last two games to clinch the team win. With the team overcoming another doubles point loss, Lloyd was pleased with the lineup's overall play.
"We've been playing some tough singles to keep going in the matches," Lloyd said.
Freshman Whi Kim's come-from-behind win (7-5, 4-6, 7-5) over junior Daniel Carlsson provided the match with extra fireworks.
After losing the first five points in the third match, Whi scored six straight points to take the lead. Carlsson - visibly frustrated - slammed his racket to the court in anger, violating his warning from a previous tantrum in the match. Kim was awarded another point. This extended his winning streak to seven matches, dating back to the fall.
In the No. 1 position, junior Steven Capriati defeated Utes junior David Mercier, 6-2, 6-4.
Senior Jari Niskala (6-4, 6-4) and freshman Roeland Brateanu (6-2, 6-4) followed with wins of their own to close out the match.
The win marked the Wildcats' second straight victory.
On Sunday, Arizona downed Northern Arizona (0-2) by a final score of 5-2. Capriati overcame senior Rodolfo Cisneros - last year's Big Sky Conference most valuable player - 6-3, 6-2.
Capriati said he could see a weakness in Cisneros' game from the outset.
"I saw (the problem) in rallies," Capriati said. "His forehand was able to do the most damage so I threw (the shot) into his weak spot."
Capriati enjoyed the challenge of facing one of the country's top players.
"I was just able to hit the big shot," he said. "Cisneros really wasn't a bad player."
Victories by Lloyd (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) and freshman Carl Hagman (6-3, 6-2) allowed Kim to close out the match, defeating senior Erik Karrlson, 6-2, 6-4.
His opponent's defensive play helped Kim to control the match. However, Kim struggled through the second set.
"I started off well, but had a little hiccup in the second," Kim said. "I was going for some stupid shots."
