SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The 20th-rated Drake men's tennis ran into a challenge it was unable to overcome in the championship match of the Hilton San Diego Mission Valley Spring Classic on Saturday (March 23) as No. 23 Harvard snapped the Bulldogs' 17-match winning streak on the strength of a 4-2 victory.
The Crimson have been a thorn in Drake's side the past two seasons as Harvard has handed the Bulldogs two of their five setbacks. During that span, Drake owns a 41-5 ledger.
The Crimson garnered the early momentum in the affair registering triumphs at the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles positions to earn the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead into singles play.
Sophomore Ben Mullis (Leicestershire, England) evened the tilt at one besting Kelvin Lam at the No. 6 singles slot, 6-1, 6-1.
Harvard tacked on wins at the Nos. 2 and 4 positions to assume a 3-2 lead, one it didn't relinquish.
Junior Robin Goodman (Cambridge, England) recorded his team-leading 31st singles victory of the season to cut the deficit to 3-2, dispatching Alex Steinroeder in three sets, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The Crimson collected the match-clinching tally at No. 5, where Nicky Hu edged senior Jean Erasmus (Windhoek, Namibia) in a three-set thriller, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Drake opens defense of its 2012 Missouri Valley Conference championship next Saturday (March 30) with a 1:00 p.m. tilt at Creighton.
NO. 23 HARVARD (12-4) DEF. NO. 20 DRAKE (17-2), 4-2
MARCH 23, 2013 • SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
SINGLES:
No. 1 Denis Nguyen (HAR) leading No. 50 Anis Ghorbel (DU) , 6-4, 3-6, 5-2 unfinished
No. 2 Shaun Chaudhuri (HAR) def. No. 121 James McKie (DU), 6-2, 6-4
No. 3 Robin Goodman (DU) def. Alex Steinroeder (HAR), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 Andy Nguyen (HAR) def. No. 125 Alen Salibasic (DU), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 Nicky Hu (HAR) def. Jean Erasmus (DU), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
No. 6 Ben Mullis (DU) def. Kelvin Lam (HAR), 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 6,4,2,3,5
DOUBLES:
No. 1 No. 67 MacMaster/D. Nguyen (HAR) def. Erasmus/Salibasic (DU), 8-3
No. 2 Ben Lott/McKie (DU) vs. Hu/A. Nguyen (HAR), 7-7 unfinished
No. 3 Lam /Steinroeder (HAR) def. Ghorbel/Goodman (DU), 9-7
Order of finish: 1,3
