Suko, Pearson Help Put Away Broncos

SEATTLE – Sophomore Nedim Suko closed out a tight 6-4, 6-4 win at fourth singles and then minutes later, freshman Brett Pearson got the first dual match win of his career, and first clinching win, at No. 6 singles to help the Huskies earn a 4-0 win over Boise State at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. Suko and Pearson also paired up for a doubles win as the Huskies improved to 4-1.

 

Pearson, the freshman from Kirkland, Wash., was making just his second start in singles, and earned his first win with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Ryo Minakata at the No. 6 spot to wrap up the Husky victory.

 

Suko had rallied from 1-4 down in the first set against James Van Herzeele to win it, 6-4, and then serving at 5-4 in the second set, Suko had to come back from 15-40 down with three points in a row to win it, rather than see it go to 5-all, in what was a key turning point in the match.

 

While the Huskies posted the 4-0 win, all three remaining matches were tight, with UW up on one court, down on another, and tied on a third. Head Coach Rahim Esmail said he knew Boise State would be tough and UW had to be just as tough.

 

“I’m proud of the guys and pleased with the way we competed,” said Esmail. “I don’t think it was pretty across the board. I think some of the matches were better than others, but certain spots we were not playing our best tennis but we were competing. In some matches we found ways to win in spots we might have not won the last few matches, so I’m really happy for guys stepping up and gutting out wins today. A 4-0 win is deceiving, it was closer than that. I was happy that I don’t think we won today because of tennis, we won because of competitiveness, and that’s what’s really important to us right now.”

 

“Brett (Pearson) getting his first win and clinching the fourth point at home I think is a cool experience for him. The best thing is how excited the other guys are for him, which shows a lot about where our team is at right now, and how much they’re gelling and bonding together. Brett’s a great guy and brings a lot of energy and he’s a competitor.”

 

The first singles point came quickly from Cesar Bouchelaghem, who finished a 6-1, 6-2 win before several other matches had completed first sets. Bouchelaghem is now a team-leading 5-0 in singles.

 

In doubles play, Pearson and Suko had a 6-1 win at No. 2 over Chin/Van Herzeele, but Boise State had its…