No. 44 Oregon men’s tennis continued its strong start to the 2015 season with a dominant 6-1 win over Loyola Marymount on Saturday in Eugene. The Ducks improve to 3-0 to start the season for the fifth straight year.
“Today we played a really good team,” associate head coach Jonas Piibor told GoDucks.com. “I think we came out with the right energy and focus, and most spots we played and competed really well.”
Kevin Farin and Jayson Amos led the squad with a convincing 6-3 doubles victory over the Lions’ Luke Bohuslav and David Doehring, who entered with a 4-0 doubles record in tournaments this season. Errol Smith and Charles Boyce responded with the equalizer for Loyola Marymount, defeating Daan Maasland and Joey Swaysland 6-3.
Cormac Clissold and senior Daniel Sardu battled Felix Van Kann and Cristobal Rivera of Loyola Marymount for the doubles point and came way with an impressive 6-3 win. The freshman Clissold, brother of Oregon tennis alum Aaron Clissold, improved to 3-0 in doubles play this season while Sardu earned his 60th career doubles victory, good for fifth place in UO career history.
“It was a good effort today; Loyola Marymount is a good team,” Nils Schyllander said. “It’s great to see our freshmen come and play with great energy in doubles; they really set the tone for the whole dual match.”
Amos, Stevens and Farin delivered the coup de grâce for Oregon, taking each of the first three singles sets to clinch the match with the score at 4-0. While Amos defeated Van Kann 6-2, 6-1, Stevens took down Todd Volmari 6-4, 6-2 and Farin sealed it with a 6-2, 6-2 rout of Charles Boyce. Respectively they improve to 10-3, 8-3 and 6-2 in singles this season, and each was undefeated on the day.
“Kevin and Jayson did a fantastic job in both singles and doubles,” Schyllander said. “I’m pleased.”
Daniel Sardu, Maasland and Clissold played out their sets and came away with two of three. Sardu overcame Rivera with relative ease, 6-4, 6-2 while Maasland emerged victorious in a back and forth three-set win over Smith, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 10-4. Clissold lost his first singles match of the season to freshman Alex Bourgeois in a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 10-6 bout.
Sardu earned his 67th singles win and moved to within two of a tie for third place in career singles all-time at the University of Oregon.
The Ducks remain undefeated after three matches this season, but face a tough test next against the No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels on Jan. 23 in Chapel Hill.
Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @kennyjacoby