Men's tennis drops first SCIAC match of the season

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Opening an always difficult SCIAC schedule with nationally-ranked No. 17 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the Chapman University men's tennis team suffered its second loss of the year in a home match at Anaheim Hills Racquet Club on Saturday afternoon.

Chapman (2-2 overall, 0-1 SCIAC) hung tough with the Sagehens, especially in the first four singles matches where the Panthers' Nos. 1-2 lost heartbreakers. Chapman No. 1 junior Justin Thompson won the opening set 7-5 before falling 6-4 in the second. In the third, he and the West Region's 25th-ranked Chris Wiechert battled to a 12-10 decision that went to Wiechert. On the No. 2 court, Panthers' senior Troy Akin lost in straight sets 7-6, 7-6.

The Panthers rallied in the third and fourth matches with sophomore Brett Buford defeating Pomona-Pitzer's Kevin Wei in three sets 6-2, 2-6, 10-7 and freshman Charlie Werman handing the Sagehens' Jonathan Kim a three-set loss 4-6, 7-5, 10-3.

To begin the day, Pomona-Pitzer (2-0 overall, 1-0 SCIAC) swept the doubles matches, with regionally-ranked Wiechert and partner Anthony Bello defeating Chapman's Akin and Buford 8-6.

Chapman travels to Caltech on Saturday at 2 p.m. to continue SCIAC play, looking for its first conference win of the season.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Boxscore: http://chapman.prestosports.com/sports/mten/2013-14/files/pp-cu.htm

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