College Tennis Roundup : UCI Serves Illinois a 6-3 Setback

Despite being without two of its top players, the UC Irvine men’s tennis team defeated Illinois, 6-3, Friday in a nonconference match at Irvine.

The win, the 18th-ranked Anteaters’ third straight, improved their record to 21-8.

Brad Ackerman, Irvine’s regular No. 3 singles player, could not play because he was suffering from the flu, while Julian Barhman, the Anteaters’ No. 6 singles player, was out with an injured foot. But strong performances by No. 5 singles player Art Hernandez and No. 2 singles player Ken Derr helped Irvine overcome the handicap.

Hernandez, a freshman from St. Francis High School in La Canada, defeated Illinois’ Madhu Nair, 6-2, 6-2. Derr beat the Fighting Illini’s Peter Bouton, 6-2, 6-4.

“Illinois is a very good team, and we beat them with two of our guys out,” UCI Coach Greg Patton said. “Thank God we have so much depth.”

The loss left unranked Illinois a record of 12-10.

First place in the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. will be at stake when Irvine plays rival Cal State Long Beach Tuesday at Irvine at 1:30. The 49ers are ranked 19th in the nation.

In other men’s tennis action:

UC Santa Barbara 6, Chapman 3--Gus Andersen, Santa Barbara’s No. 2 singles players, led the Gauchos past the Panthers in a nonconference match at Santa Barbara. Andersen defeated Chapman’s Travis Davis, 6-2, 6-2.

Chapman, 13-11 overall, got a strong performance from No. 1 singles players Troy Turnbull, who beat Santa Barbara’s Jon Nissey, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.

In women’s tennis action:

UC Irvine 6, Cal Poly Pomona 3--The Anteaters (15-11) were playing without two of their best players--Dina Trenwith and Haruko Shigekawa, who were sick. The No. 1 doubles team of Colleen Patton and Lola Trenwith clinched the nonconference victory with a 6-0, 6-1.