CHRYSTAL MCCONNELL/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona junior Carl Hagman returns a forehand during the No. 33 Wildcats upset at home over No. 29 Arizona State Saturday. Arizona took four of six singles matches along with winning the doubles point as well.

Wildcats down ASU to all but assure postseason invite

More than bragging rights were on the line for the men's tennis team's Saturday match against Arizona State, in which the Wildcats crushed their in-state rivals, 5-2.

No. 33 Arizona (9-10, 3-4) closed its dual and Pac-10 seasons on Saturday with a win over No. 29 ASU, winning the doubles point to go along with four of six singles matches.

"The guys played awfully well," said head coach Bill Wright. "You can't beat beating those guys 5-2."

The Wildcats' only two losses came when Olivier Charroin downed freshman Roger Matalonga, 6-3, 6-3, and when No. 82 Pim Van Mele won a hotly contested match over junior Whi Kim, 7-6 (5), 6-1. Van Mele argued with the official on multiple occasions and at one point slapped his towel on the ground.

UA utilized a rare day of good weather, Wright said.

"We finally had a nice day and the guys really played well," Wright said.

The Wildcats likely rebounded to clinch an NCAA bid, after winning just one match overall against No. 7 Stanford and No. 3 California last weekend.

"It looks like we're going to the NCAAs; they can't keep us out now," Wright said.

After splitting on courts one and three, both 8-4, Arizona took the doubles point thanks to a win in a tight match by Matalonga and sophomore Tempe native Colin O'Grady 9-8 (6).

There was a question as to whether Matalonga would even play after being forced to leave his match at Stanford last week with a sprained back.

When Arizona took the doubles match, it put ASU into a hole from which the Sun Devils proved unable to emerge.

"It was a huge thing," Wright said. "They had to win four singles."

No. 112 junior Carl Hagman, sophomore Paul Warkentin, O'Grady and freshman Daniel Andrus each won their singles matches. Hagman beat ASU's Chris Letcher, 6-3, 7-6 (6) and Warkentin rebounded to defeat Chris Stewart, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.

The last time the UA played ASU, in Tempe, the Sun Devils captured a 4-3 victory by taking the match's very last set. Arizona is 51-34 all-time against the Sun Devils.

Despite heading into the Pac-10 championships, which are more individual than team-oriented, the Wildcat players are more excited about the success of the team than their own success, Wright said.

"Our season isn't over," he said. "Our goal is four more matches.

Arizona now heads to the Pac-10 championships in Ojai, Calif., which start on Thursday. The NCAA tournament begins on May 10.