Despite 'perfect lineup' Wildcat men fall twice in Bay Area

The Wildcat men's tennis team remained winless in the Pacific 10 Conference after losing its two matches this weekend.

Arizona (5-7 overall, 0-6 in the Pac-10 Southern Division) lost at Stanford, 6-1 on Friday, and California beat the Wildcats by the same score the following day in Berkeley.

Freshman Jean-Noel Lacoste returned to the lineup on Friday after being sidelined for nearly one month because of a groin injury. That completed what Wildcat coaches said would be "a perfect lineup," - the one that they had intended to have at the beginning of the season, but did not due to various injuries.

But junior transfer Jerome Oliveri learned he was still not 100 percent after returning from a back injury that he suffered in October, so the lineup is still not playing to its maximum potential.

"Jean-Noel and Jerome haven't had enough matches and are still rusty," UA head coach Bill Wright said. "We've got to get them some matches so they can get 'match-tough.'"

Wright said that he expects the two players to fully recover and return to their usual playing styles soon.

"They've got a good potential of being our best players down the road in a week or two," Wright said. "They're both just not healthy and as sharp as they would be had they not been hurt."

The Wildcats' sole victory over the Cardinal (13-1, 4-0) came in the doubles matches. Seniors Henrik Wagner and Tom Haugland defeated Stanford, 8-3 in the top doubles position.

Wagner and Haugland also won their doubles set on Saturday when they defeated Cal's Chris Santoso and David Sutton, 8-2.

"Tom and Henrik played very well," Wright said. "It was the best weekend of doubles they have played. They just killed Stanford's team."

Haugland's straight set victory over the Golden Bears' Alex Sueur was the Wildcats' sole singles victory of the weekend.

"After peaking in doubles we just went downhill (in singles)," Wright said.