Junior Charlie Yemm picks up wins in singles and doubles for the Pilots

PORTLAND, Ore.  --- Playing the final home match of the 2007 season, the Portland men’s tennis team defeated Eastern Washington 5-2 on Sunday to improve to 8-4 on the season. The Eagles drop to 5-6 with the loss.

Portland secured the doubles point by taking the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. After the Eagles tandem of Pannhara Mam and Kyle Schraeder took the No. 1 position 8-3, Portland’s Alex Strom and Charlie Yemm earned an 8-2 win at No. 2. The duo of Evan Schleining and Joel Kincaid secured the point with an 8-3 win at No. 3.

At the top of the singles order, Mam defeated Strom in three sets (4-6, 6-1, 6-4), but UP freshman Filip Zivkovic defeated Schraeder 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2. Kincaid then handled Patrick Millican 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3 to put the Pilots up 3-1.

Jager, a fifth-year senior and three-time team captain, made the most of his final performance at the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center with a straight set win over Daniel Pez (6-2, 6-4) at No. 4, and Yemm clinched the win at No. 5 with a 6-2, 7-5 win against Nico Reigo de Dios.

Art Karas won in a third set tiebreaker over Schleining (2-6, 6-4, 10-5) to finalize the scoring.

“Filip (Zivkovic) and Charlie (Yemm) are really coming on strong for us,” Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. “They are both transfers who have had an immediate impact on our program and I think their development has been phenomenal as the season has progressed.”

Zivkovic and Yemm, roommates on campus, have each won their last two matches and are a combined 15-8 in singles play this season.

The Pilots will next take the court March 28-31 at the Boise State Spring Break Tournament in Boise, Idaho. The West Coast Conference Championships are slated for April 20-22 in San Diego, Calif.

Portland 5, Eastern Washington 2

March 18

Singles

1. Pannhara Mam (EWU) def. Alex Strom (POR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

2. Filip Zivkovic (POR) def. Kyle Schraeder (EWU) 6-3, 6-4

3. Joel Kincaid (POR) def. Patrick Millican (EWU) 6-4, 6-1

4. Colby Jager (POR) def. Daniel Pez (EWU) 6-2, 6-4

5. Charlie Yemm (POR) def. Nico Reigo de Dios (EWU) 6-2, 7-5

6. Art Karas (EWU) def. Evan Schleining (POR) 2-6, 6-4, (10-5)

Doubles

1. Mam/Schraeder (EWU) def. Zivkovic/Scott Kennel (POR) 8-3

2. Strom/Yemm (POR) def. Reigo de Dios/Millican (EWU) 8-2

3. Kincaid/ Schleining (POR) def. Karas/Keithan Gregg (EWU) 8-3

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3), Singles (2,3,1,4,5,6)