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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Portland men’s tennis team earned a road split over the weekend of the West Coast Conference with Saturday’s 4-2 win over San Francisco at the Goldman Tennis Center. The Pilots move to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in league play while the Dons fall to 2-13 overall and 0-5 in league play.
Portland secured the colon with victories at No. 1 and No. 3. Sema Pankin and Eleftherios Neos defeated Nil Giraldez and Johan Garpered 6-3, and then Issa Yoshida and Cade Fernando secured it in a 6-4 win against Stevie Gould and Davide Cortimiglia in 3rd place.
The singles games were extremely close, but Pankin gave the Pilots a boost with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Giraldez at the top of the lineup. USF countered with a win in 2nd place before the last four games were all over three sets.
Nicolas Ocana made a comeback in 3rd with a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 win over Gould. USF took their second point when Nikola Kuraica overtook Nikolas Tvedt in a three-setter for 4th. Portland’s Maxim Groysman then provided the winning point with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 loss to 5th-ranked Cortimiglia.
The final singles game between Issa Yoshida and Luka Kalenic was abandoned in the third set.
“Today was a little gut check,” said Portland coach Aaron Gross. “We didn’t play well yesterday or fight particularly well. We still didn’t play great today but we were very gritty. Sema is on the right track and had a solid win in 1st place. Our other two wins were lost in the first set and we were fighting back for wins. Ocana played so hard to come back from the 6-0 loss of the first game and Max managed the clincher again. Sometimes the most valuable and meaningful victories are the ones that you have to fight and fight your way to. Today’s victory was very hard fought and well deserved.”
Portland returns home next weekend to host the Loyola Marymount Lions on Thursday and the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday. Both games are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. with live coverage available on PortlandPilots.com.
Portland 4, San Francisco 2
San Francisco, California (Goldman Tennis Center)
April 1, 2023
singles
1. Defeated Sema Pankin (POR). Nile Giraldez (USF) 6-4, 6-2
2. Moritz Hoffmann (USF) defeated. Eleftherios Neos (POR) 6-2, 7-6
3. Nicolas Ocana (POR) defeated. Stevie Gould (USF) 0-6, 6-1, 7-5
4. Nikola Kuraica (USF) defeated. Nicholas Tvedt (POR) 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
5. Maxim Groysman (POR) defeated. Davide Cortimiglia (USF) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
6. Luka Kalenic (USF) vs. Issa Yoshida (POR) 7-5, 6-7, 1-3, unfinished
double
1. Pankin/Neos (POR) def. Giredez-Johan Garpered (USF) 6-3
2. Kuraica/Hoffmann (USF) defeated. Ocana-Tvedt (POR) 6-2
3. Yoshida/Cade Fernando (POR) defeated. Gould/Cortimiglia (USF) 6-4
Game Notes:
Portland 8-7, 2-2 World Cup
San Francisco 2-13, 0-5 WCC
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Single (1,2,3,4,5)
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