Kelley L Cox / KLC fotos
Carl Emil Overbeck celebrates after completing Cal’s win over the Sun Devils.
BERKELEY – Carl Emil Overbeck rallied to win a three-setter and lead the 33rd-ranked California men’s tennis team to a 4-2 victory over No. 39 Arizona State on Friday afternoon in the Pac-12 Conference opener at the Hellman Tennis Complex.
The Bears’ record improved to 9-3 overall (1-0 Pac-12) upon the conclusion of the three-hour match. ASU is 11-5 (0-1 Pac-12).
Cal picked up the doubles point for the ninth time in 10 doubles outings. The Bears’ veteran pair of Yuta Kikuchi and Philip Hjorth defeated Spencer Brachman and Max McKennon, 6-2, on court three, before the 54th-ranked Ryder Jackson and Lucas Magnaudet beat Roi Ginat and Murphy Cassone, 6-4, to clinch on court two.
“One the strongest points of our team is how we perform in doubles,” said Kris Kwinta, Cal’s Peter Wright Director of Men’s Tennis. “These guys have the energy and belief that they can beat anybody in doubles.”
Hjorth quickly increased Cal’s lead to 2-0 with his 6-1, 6-0 win over Brachman at court-six singles.
A straight-set ASU win made the score 2-1.
The remaining four matches went to three sets, and Cal eventually pulled ahead 3-1 when the 94th-ranked Jackson beat the Sun Devils’ McKennon, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, on court two.
Ahead 3-2 after another setback, Cal got the clinching win when Overbeck bested Constantinos Koshis, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-1, on court four.
“Today Carlo stepped up, and Ryder again, and just delivered energy,” Kwinta said. “The crowd helped a lot, and we were able to pull one out.”
Cal continues Pac-12 play when the Bears host Arizona at Hellman. The match vs. the Wildcats – originally scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. – was moved to Saturday at 4 p.m. due to rain in the forecast for Sunday.
No. 33 California (9-3, 1-0 Pac-12) 4, No. 39 Arizona State (11-5, 0-1 Pac-12) 2
March 17, 2023, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. Siddhant Banthia/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) vs. Jacob Bullard/Constantinos Koshis (ASU), 5-6 Unfinished
2. No. 54 Ryder Jackson/Lucas Magnaudet (Cal) def. Roi Ginat/Murphy Cassone (ASU), 6-4*
3. Philip Hjorth/Yuta Kikuchi (Cal) def. spencer Brachman/Max McKennon (ASU), 6-2
Order of Finish –…
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