Box Score SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Portland men's tennis team earned a West Coast Conference weekend road split with Saturday's 4-2 victory over San Francisco at Goldman Tennis Center. The Pilots move to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in league play, while the Dons fall to 2-13 overall and 0-5 in league.

Portland secured the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. Sema Pankin and Eleftherios Neos took down Nil Giraldez and Johan Garpered 6-3 and then Issa Yoshida and Cade Fernando clinched with a 6-4 win against Stevie Gould and Davide Cortimiglia at No. 3.

The singles matches were extremely close, but Pankin gave the Pilots a boost with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Giraldez at the top of the lineup. USF countered with a win at No. 2 before the final four matches all went to three sets.

Nicolas Ocana pulled out a comeback at No. 3 with a 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 win against Gould. USF picked up their second point with Nikola Kuraica outlasting Nikolas Tvedt in a three-setter at No. 4. Portland's Maxim Groysman then provided the clincher with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Cortimiglia at No. 5.

The final singles match between Issa Yoshida and Luka Kalenic was abandoned in the third set.

"Today was a bit of a gut check," Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. "We didn't play well or compete especially well yesterday. We still didn't play great today but were very gritty. Sema is on track and had a solid win at No. 1. Our other two wins we had lost the first set and battled back for wins. Ocana played so hard to come back from losing the first 6-0 and Max came up clutch again with the clincher. Sometimes the most valuable and meaningful wins are the ones that you must fight and claw your way through to get done. Today's win was very hard fought and well-earned."

Portland returns home next weekend to host the Loyola Marymount Lions on Thursday and the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday. Both matches are set for 10 a.m. starts with live coverage available at PortlandPilots.com.

Portland 4, San Francisco 2
San Francisco, Calif. (Goldman Tennis Center)
April 1, 2023

Singles
1. Sema Pankin (POR) def. Nil Giraldez (USF) 6-4, 6-2
2. Moritz Hoffmann (USF) def. Eleftherios Neos (POR) 6-2, 7-6
3. Nicolas Ocana (POR) def. Stevie Gould (USF) 0-6, 6-1, 7-5
4. Nikola Kuraica (USF) def. Nikolas Tvedt (POR) 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
5. Maxim Groysman (POR) def. Davide Cortimiglia (USF) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
6. Luka Kalenic (USF) vs. Issa Yoshida (POR) 7-5, 6-7, 1-3, unfinished

Doubles
1. Pankin/Neos (POR) def. Giradez/Johan Garpered (USF) 6-3
2. Kuraica/Hoffmann (USF) def. Ocana/Tvedt (POR) 6-2
3. Yoshida/Cade Fernando (POR) def. Gould/Cortimiglia (USF) 6-4

Match Notes:
Portland 8-7, 2-2 WCC
San Francisco 2-13, 0-5 WCC
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,2,3,4,5)
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