CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College
men's tennis team played three matches in two days as part of
the 2010 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Championships and ended things on Saturday afternoon with a
disappointing 6-3 loss to Occidental in the fifth place game.
The Poets (7-14, 2-7 SCIAC) battled hard all tournament and came
up just short against the Tigers. Seniors Sean
Robertson and Justin DeLong accounted for
all three Whittier points against Occidental with wins at No. 3 and
No. 4 singles, respectively, and No. 2 doubles.
The two seniors kept Whittier in the match with an 8-3 at
doubles. The No. 1 team of Patricio Carregha and
Julian Seneviratne had a chance to give the purple
and gold the 2-1 edge after doubles but lost, 9-8 (8-6).
Robertson's match at No. 3 singles started on shaky
ground. He dropped the first set, 6-2, but came back strong to win
the next two sets, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). DeLong also went three sets at
No. 4 singles. He jumped out to a 1-0 lead behind a 6-3 first set
but dropped the second set, 6-4. He bounced back to earn the point,
6-2.
Despite losing at No. 2 singles, Seneviratne played well all
tournament. He dropped his match against the Tigers, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
(8-6). In his only other singles match of the championships he was
leading regionally ranked Anish Nada of No. 17 Redlands, 7-6 (7-4),
3-3, before the match was called.
The Poets' first round matchup was against the Bulldogs
and the purple and gold held a 2-1 lead after doubles. Carregha and
Seneviratne earned the 8-7 (7-4) win at the top spot over the
regionally ranked top pair from Redlands while Tedd
Wyatt and Taylor won by the same score at
No. 3 doubles.
Redlands took control in singles and won at No. 3, No. 4, No. 5
and No. 6 to clinch the match. First round games were played to a
decision and Seneviratne and Carregha were still in play when the
match ended.
The Poets rebounded in a must win match to sweep Caltech, 9-0.
The Poets toggled with their singles lineup but still won in
straight sets in all six matches.
Robertson moved to the top spot and won 6-2, 6-3, DeLong won
6-4, 6-2, at No. 2 singles, Frank Sun won 6-1,
6-0, at No. 3, Wyatt won 6-3, 6-0, at No. 4, Ryan
Johnson won 6-3, 6-0, at No. 5 and Gavin
Smith won 6-3, 6-4, at No. 6 singles.
Carregha and Seneviratne still played at No. 1 doubles and won
8-2 while Robertson and DeLong won 8-2 at No. 2 doubles and Wyatt
and Dimler took care of business at No. 3 doubles, 8-0.
The Poets will end their season next weekend at the Ojai
Championships.
