By Steve Fanucchi
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The UA men's tennis team lost to No. 1 Stanford 5-2 Friday and 27th-ranked Cal 4-3 Saturday.
Both of the dual matches were closer than the ones the Wildcats played against the Cardinal and the Golden Bears two weeks ago in the Bay Area, when they were swept. But Arizona (6-14 overall, 0-9 in the Pacific 10 Conference South Division) still failed to come up with its first conference victory. However, despite the fact that the UA has its worst record in school history, it still has an outside shot at making the NCAA Regional.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Stanford (16-0) by winning the doubles point Ä they have won the doubles point in each of their last three dual matches. In 19 dual matches this season, Arizona has won the doubles point nine times.
Jan Anderson and Eddie Schwartz, at 8-4 the UA's only doubles team with a winning record, teamed up to take down Paul Goldstein and
Charles Hoevelor 8-4.
Sten Sumberg and Chris Jenkins beat Jim Thomas and Ricker Becker 9-8, giving Arizona the point.
"That was a huge upset in doubles for us," Wildcats head coach Bill Wright said.
The Wildcat duo of Vuk Tapuskovic and James Rey lost to Jeff Salzenstein and Grant Elliott 8-5.
The Cardinal came back from the 1-0 deficit to take the match by winning five of six singles matches.
The UA's only singles winner for the day was James Rey, who was playing in the six spot. Rey defeated Hoeveler 7-6, 7-6.
Sixth-ranked Salzenstein defeated No. 33 Anderson 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
"Jan has had a tough couple of weeks, coming from Norway to play three straight conference matches against the top players," Wright said.
Salzenstein finished the first set off by breaking Anderson at 5-4. Salzenstein took over and was too much for Anderson (24-13).
Although Salzenstein took a 6-1 lead in the tie-breaker, Anderson hung tough, smashing a cross-court forehand winner past Salzenstein. But on the next volley, Salzenstein once again won at the net, to clinch a 7-2 victory.
The Wildcats had more tough luck Saturday, as they lost to the Bears (10-2).
Once again, the Wildcats had things going their way, as they took the lead 1-0.
Anderson and Schwartz again won 8-3 over Casey Louie and David Melmed.
"That was some very good doubles play for Eddie," Wright said.
Sumberg and Jenkins continued their tremendous play as they took down Michael Hill and Bobby Mahal 8-4.
Arizona's Tapuskovic and Rey (1-3) lost to the Bears' Nathon Jackman and David Sutton 8-5.
Perhaps the best play of the day's singles came from Sumberg, who recorded the upset of the year by beating 12th-ranked Louie in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Sumberg has been troubled with injuries all year and has yet to return to full strength.
"I played very well, but still not to the best of my ability," Sumberg said. "That guy is very tough Ä he has barely lost any matches this year."
Sumberg (7-9 in dual matches) had played the best match of the year.
Jenkins defeated Mala 6-1, 6-4 to improve to 10-8 on the season, and he continues to be one of the Wildcats' most consistent players.
Rey defaulted after getting down 6-3, 5-0 in the second set because of a shoulder injury sustained in the dual match against Stanford the day before.
The match came down to the singles match between the UA's Jack Enfield and Cal's Melmed. In the long match, Melmed came out on top 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
"It was not good here, we should have beaten those guys, but it has been tough this year," Wright said.
The Wildcats will play their final two matches of the year this week against San Diego State tomorrow, and intrastate rival Arizona State Saturday.