Zags Wrap Up Regular-Season At Home This Weekend
4/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga University men's tennis team will look to send seniors Scott Sullivan, Zhia Hwa Chong and Jake Davis off on a winning note as the Bulldogs close out the regular-season playing three matches at the Spokane Racquet Club this weekend. The Bulldogs will host West Coast Conference foes University of San Francisco Friday at noon, 30th-ranked Santa Clara University Saturday at 11 a.m., and Lewis-Clark State College Sunday at noon.
HEAD COACH PETER MACDONALD'S THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS WEEKEND: "It's going to be tough to watch the seniors play their final home matches at the Spokane Racquet Club this weekend. Scott and Chong have had a phenomenal season together in doubles and in singles. The guys have been working really hard and putting extra time in at practice for these matches. They are really looking forward to these matchups."
SCOUTING THE DONS: The University of San Francisco hits the road hoping to snap a six-match losing streak in the Pacific Northwest. Recently, the Dons were blanked 7-0 at home by then 19th-ranked University of San Diego last Saturday. Thai Tu has been the Dons leader in singles play as he carries a 7-3 record when playing the at No. 1 spot this spring. In doubles play, Jonathan Knowlman has played a majority of the spring season on court one. He is 1-5 with Germain Bahri and 1-7 with Johan Samuelsson.
LAST TIME VS. THE DONS: Zhia Hwa Chong and Scott Sullivan both won their singles matches but Gonzaga University fell 4-2 to then 72nd-ranked University of San Francisco in a WCC match last year in San Francisco. Chong defeated Zach Jiganti 7-5, 6-2 at No. 4 singles and Sullivan had a battle with Germain Bahri at the No. 5 spot. Sullivan won the first set 6-3 and after losing the second 4-6, he bounced back and won the tiebreaker 10-8. Due to both teams busy schedule that weekend, the head coaches agreed to play only singles matches.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: Santa Clara University elevated two spots to No. 30 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Top 75 rankings after having won four straight matches. Recently, the Broncos closed out their home schedule with a 6-1 win over WCC rival Saint Mary's College last Saturday. One day later, the Broncos would upset then-No. 19 University of San Diego 4-3. Kyle Dandan moved up eight spots to No. 68 in the ITA Top 125 singles rankings after pulling a 6-4, 6-4 upset victory over then-No. 36 Nikola Bubnic of the Toreros at the No. 1 spot. John Lamble also upset a nationally-ranked Torero in singles play, defeating then-No. 91 Patrick Pohlmann in three sets, 1-6, 6-0, 6-2, on court two.
LAST TIME VS. THE BRONCOS: Gonzaga University closed out its WCC season with a 7-0 loss to then-57th-ranked Santa Clara University in the Bay Area last year. Jake Davis and Levin Guillermo highlighted the day winning their second-straight doubles match at the No. 3 position, defeating Eugene Muchynski and John Lamble 8-6. Zhia Hwa Chong and Scott Sullivan played well at No. 1 doubles but Santa Clara's Maxime Armenguad and Nicolas Vinel won the match 8-5.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS: Lewis-Clark State College stayed put at No. 24 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 polls this week. Last Saturday, the Warriors came off an impressive 7-2 victory over NCAA Division III Whitman College, which was ranked eighth in the ITA Division III Top 25 polls last week. Ivan Krijanto leads the effort in singles play with a 6-6 record. He has also played all but one of his doubles matches on court one, going 4-4 with Benjamin Robert and 3-1 with Cesar Uauy.
LAST TIME VS. THE WARRIORS: Gonzaga University picked up an impressive 5-2 victory over Lewis-Clark State College last year in Spokane. The Bulldogs earned a win over a Warrior team that finished the 2009-10 season ranked 18th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Coaches' Top 25 polls. Four Bulldogs picked up two of the three doubles matches to win the point. Zhia Hwa Chong and Scott Sullivan earned a 9-8 win over Anders Tischer and Ivan Krijanto at No. 1 doubles. Tyler Campbell and Jake Davis helped lock up the doubles point by beating Tyler Oram and Oliver Sindayigaya 8-5 at No. 2 doubles. In singles competition, Levin Guillermo dropped the first set 3-6 but bounced back and won the next two 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles. Kevin Eischen and Davis also dropped the first set of their matches but would go on to win at Nos. 2 and 5 singles, respectively. Chong clinched the Bulldogs fifth point with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Victor Svoboda at No. 4 singles.
