PROVO -- The BYU men's tennis team began a three-match road trip Tuesday against No. 17 Washington, losing 5-2 despite a number of opportunities to upset the Huskies. The Cougars travel to Oregon Wednesday to complete the trip in a doubleheader against the University of Portland and the University of Oregon.
The Cougars were within one break of stealing the doubles point after Chip Hand and Jonathan Sanchez won their third doubles match in a row and fifth on the season. Cassidy Mears and Cale Planck lost a tough doubles match at the No. 3 spot and it was up to seniors James Ludlow and Dominik Kaufhold at No. 1 to pull out the win and the doubles point. Tied at eight all, the Cougar-duo lost the tiebreak 7-3 and the point went to the Huskies.
"We had some opportunities to start the match with the doubles win," BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. "I would have liked to have gone into the singles with the doubles point. It would have given us a great opportunity to pull out a win or least give the No. 17 team in the nation a good scare."
Junior Jonathan Sanchez won his singles match in straight sets for the blue and white, 6-3, 6-1, and freshman Cassidy Mears also pulled out a come-from-behind "W" in a tiebreak in the third set, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Pearce said that, although his team fought a hard match Tuesday, fatigue should not be a factor in Wednesday's matches.
"It will be a tough day, but if we can get good starts with doubles points then I like our opportunities to get a couple of wins," Pearce said. "If fatigue is a factor we are not in good enough shape. It shouldn't be a factor, and if it is then our guys need to work harder."
BYU falls to 3-4 on the season going into Wednesday's doubleheader. Washington came into the match on the rebound from a 7-0 loss to No. 2 Ohio State and a record of 2-1 on the season; they improve to 3-1.
Match Results
Doubles
1- Kuharszky/Slovic (UW) def. Ludlow/Kaufhold (BYU) 9-8 (3)
2- Hand/Sanchez (BYU) def. Patrik Fischer/Ricks (UW) 8-5
3- Daniel Chu/Derek Drabble (UW) def. Planck/Mears (BYU) 8-3
Singles
1- Alex Slovic (UW) def. James Ludlow (BYU) 6-1, 6-2
2- Daniel Chu (UW) def. Dominik Kaufhold (BYU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
3- Andy Kuharszky (UW) def. Chip Hand (BYU) 6-3, 6-4
4- Jonathan Sanchez (BYU) def. Derek Drabble (UW) 6-3, 6-1
5- David Chu (UW) def. Cale Planck (BYU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
6- Cassidy Mears (BYU) def. Michael Ricks (UW) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Doubles Finishing Order - 3, 2, 1
Singles Finishing Order - 1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6