Unable to repeat last season’s heroics, the Oregon men’s tennis team saw its postseason hopes take a major blow.
Two of the biggest wins in school history came against the Arizona schools last season and propelled the Ducks into the NCAA’s.
Now, after two major Pacific-10 Conference setbacks at the hands of Arizona and Arizona State and the tough road matches remaining, Oregon’s window of opportunity is closing.
“We need to work hard to turn this thing around right now,” Oregon head coach Chris Russell said. “With these young guys, we have faced the hardest part of the road schedule and they are getting enlightenment as to how well some of the home teams are playing.”
The Ducks began the weekend with a 5-2 loss to No. 28-ranked Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. Oregon won the No. 1 and No. 6 singles positions, but dropped the remaining matches to lose. Sophomore ace Oded Teig scored his first win over a ranked opponent this season, upsetting the Sun Devils’ Nic Dubey in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Freshman Greg Dubourbieu closed out the match with a 6-7, 6-3, 7-6(10) win over Jarrod Eckermann after Arizona State had clinched the contest.
“We had some chances in some of the other matches, but with our youth we weren’t able to convert on those,” Russell said. “Hopefully as we mature we’ll make progress and win some of those close matches.”
Doubles teams of sophomore Jason Menke, freshman Buck Mink and freshman Chris King and Teig came close to upsets, but each fell by close margins. Menke, Mink and freshman Martin Pawlowski each lost overtime singles sets.
One hundred miles south in Tucson, Ariz., the Ducks didn’t come as close against No. 45 Arizona.
Two overtime matches involving Dubordieu were the lone bright spots for Oregon. The Perreux, France native took the Wildcats’ Bruno Aropovic to the third set, but fell 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(8). Earlier in doubles play, Dubourdieu and King fought the team of Arnaud Agniel and Roeland Brateanu to an 8-8 deadlock, but dropped the overtime game, 9-8(5).
Oregon falls to 8-11 overall, 0-4 in the Pac-10. The Ducks continue their regular season-ending road swing in Los Angeles next weekend against No. 20 Southern California on Friday and top-ranked UCLA on Saturday.