Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. – West Coast Conference preseason favorite San Diego defeated Portland by a 6-1 margin on Sunday at the Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center. It was the league-opener for both programs as the Toreros improve to 3-2 overall, while the Pilots fall to 1-5.
The young Pilots battled an experienced San Diego squad that returned the top four players from last year's WCC championship squad.
In doubles, freshman Eleftherios Neos and sophomore Tom Hann were leading the No. 12-ranked tandem in the nation by a 4-3 margin at the No. 1 position, but San Diego clinched with comfortable wins at the other two spots.
In singles, the Pilots picked up a win by freshmen Issa Yoshida at the No. 5 position. Yoshida defeated Noah Dufort in a three-set super-tiebreaker by a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 margin. Fellow freshman Leo Hibi also pushed Garrett Kurtz to three sets at No. 6, but came up short.
Freshman Sema Pankin gave No. 83-ranked August Holmgren a tough match at the top of the lineup, but came up short in straight sets.
No. 117-ranked Gui Osorio and Nico Borter also won in straight sets to complete the scoring for San Diego.
"San Diego is a very good team and did not take us lightly," Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. "They took it to us pretty good. They are the team we hope this group can be in the next couple of years. We have to take everything from these experiences, including the pain, and use it as fuel to keep pushing forward. Issa did a nice job. He has lost a couple of close ones lately, so it was good to see him get over the hump today."
The Pilots will take an extended break from competition and return to host the Idaho Vandals on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center. All Portland home matches will have live video and point-by-point scoring available at PortlandPilots.com.
San Diego 6, Portland 1
Portland, Ore. (Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center)
February 3, 2019
Singles
1. #83 August Holmgren (USD) def. Sema Pankin (POR) 6-4, 6-2
2. #117 Gui Osorio (USD) def. Tom Hann (POR) 6-1, 6-1
3. Nico Borter (USD) def. Nicklas Oberg (POR) 6-2, 6-3
4. Joel Gamerov (USD) def. Eleftherios Neos (POR) 6-2, 6-4
5. Issa Yoshida (POR) def. Noah Dufort (USD) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (6)
6. Garrett Kurtz (USD) def. Leo Hibi (POR) 2-6, 7-6 (6), 1-0 (7)
Doubles
1. Hann/Neos (POR) vs. #12 Holmgren/Gamerov (USD) 4-3, unfinished
2. Borter/Osorio (USD) def. Pankin/Yoshida (POR) 6-2
3. David Norfeldt/Guus Koevermans (USD) def. Andrew Newell/Oberg (POR) 6-1
Match Notes:
San Diego 3-2, 1-0 WCC
Portland 1-5, 0-1 WCC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,3,1,4,5,6)
