Air Force Academy

March 29, 2010

The Air Force men’s tennis team lost a tough 6-1 decision to the University of the Pacific Monday at the Academy. Senior Brett Rodgers notched the lone point for the Falcons, winning the No. 4 singles match. With the victory, Pacific improved to 5-9 this season, while Air Force fell to 10-5.

Pacific picked up the doubles point with wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. Rodgers and junior Taylor Soster won the No. 1 match, defeating Artem Gramma and Ivan Castro, 8-6, to improve to 20-6 overall and 13-2 at the No. 1 position. They became the first Air Force doubles team to post 20 victories in one season since Eric Pittman and current assistant coach Capt. Tyler McClung went 25-6 during the 2002-03 season.

Karl-Erik Paaro and Vegerd Veskimagi won the No. 2 match for UOP, 8-3, over senior Austin Francis and freshman Lance Wilhelm, then Renan Delsin and Fernando Ristow clinched the point with an exciting 9-7 win over junior Alex Beaussart and freshman Sam Barnes at No. 3.

Five of the six singles matches went three sets, with Pacific winning four of them. Rodgers improved to 9-6 in dual matches after rallying for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Delsin, but the Tigers won the other five matches. Gramma handed Wilhelm just his third loss of the spring with a 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 win at the top spot, while Castro defeated Francis, 6-4, 6-0, at No. 2 in the only singles match that ended in straight sets.

Ristow took the No. 3 singles match over Soster, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 and Paaro and Chase Oliphant each rallied from a one-set deficit to win at No. 5 and 6, respectively.

Air Force opens Mountain West Conference action on Thursday, April 1 by hosting the BYU Cougars at 2 p.m.

University of the Pacific 6, Air Force 1

Singles

1. Artem Gramma (UOP) def. Lance Wilhelm, 6-1, 5-7, 7-5

2. Ivan Castro (UOP) def. Austin Francis, 6-4, 6-0

3. Fernando Ristow (UOP) def. Taylor Soster, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

4. Brett Rodgers (AF) def. Renan Delsin, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

5. Karl-Erik Paaro (UOP) def. Vinni Lodolo, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1

6. Chase Oliphant (UOP) def. Alex Beaussart, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(1)

Doubles

1. Rodgers / Soster (AF) def. Gramma / Castro, 8-6

2. Paaro / Vegerd Veskimagi (UOP) def. Francis / Wilhelm, 8-3

3. Delsin / Ristow (UOP) def. Beaussart / Sam Barnes, 9-7