By Zach DeMarcus
February 24, 2018
 
(EL CAJON, Calif.) Westmont Men's Tennis (2-5, 0-2 GSAC) was narrowly defeated in back-to-back matches in San Diego this weekend. They fell to Division II opponent Point Loma (3-3) 5-4 on Friday and lost by the same score in a Golden State Athletic Conference match against San Diego Christian (3-2, 2-0 GSAC) this afternoon.
 
In Friday's match, the Warriors took a 2-1 lead through doubles play. Point Loma's Thomas Dafcik and Yuki Okamoto defeated John T. Joens and Miles Hale 8-3. In number two doubles, Westmont's Christian Mathis and Luke Whalen edged Jack Alson and Tim Soderman 8-6. The Warriors earned their second point as Jordan Strandness and Corey Stephens beat CJ Erion and Grant Alston 8-7 (9-7).
 
The Sea Lions would respond in singles play. Point Loma's Ben Smit conquered Strandness 6-2, 6-3. Soderman defeated Westmont's Stephens 6-2, 6-4 to take a 3-2 lead.
 
At number one, Westmont's Mathis fell to Dafcik 6-3, 6-1 for the Sea Lions' fourth point. Joens won his match in three sets to keep the Warriors alive as he moved past Okamoto 7-5, 2-6, 6-2. The Warriors surrendered their fifth point to Point Loma as Hale was defeated by Point Loma's Alston 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 6-1. Whalen gave Westmont its fourth point as he defeated Erion 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 – brining the final score to 4-5 in favor of the Sea Lions.
 
This afternoon Westmont started the same way they did yesterday by taking two of the three points in doubles play. At number one, Mathis and Whalen fell to Aliaksandr Meliuk and Innocent Tidimane 8-4.
 
Westmont's Strandness and Stephens took down Carl Lindquist Nilsson and German Ziella 8-4. At number two, Joens and Austin Lee triumphed over Alonso Tellez and David Samardzija 8-6 – giving Westmont a 2-1 lead going into singles.
 
In singles, Lee gave Westmont a point as he defeated Nick Bell 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). At number one, San Diego Christian's Tellez defeated Mathis 7-5, 6-0. At number four, Strandness fell to Tidimane 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 – tying the match at three. The Hawks took the lead as Samardzija slipped past Joens 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
 
Stephens triumphed over Lindquist Nilsson 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-0) for the Warriors – tying the game at four. The overall match fell into the hands of Westmont's Whalen and San Diego Christian's Meliuk. The number two match took three sets to reach a decision. In the end, Meliuk came away with the victory for San Diego Christian as he edged Whalen 7-5, 0-6, 6-2. The final score of the match was 4-5 in favor of the Hawks.
 
The Warriors return to the court on Saturday, March 3 to face Hope International at home. First serve is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.