CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Despite dropping a 6-1 decision at top-ranked Virginia Friday evening, Virginia Tech’s Luka Somen had a good day participating in two upset victories. The dual match was played at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at Boar’s Head Tennis Center. Tech fell to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the ACC, while No. 1 Virginia improved to 9-0 overall and 2-0 in league play.
Somen (Jr., Karlovac, Croatia), playing perhaps the best tennis of his career, registered the Hokies lone point of the night by upsetting 27th-ranked Michael Shabaz, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the No. 1 singles match. Shabaz, the reigning ACC Co-Player of the Week, defeated Kentucky’s second-ranked Eric Quigley last week. Earlier in the doubles competition Somen teamed with Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci (Jr., Reggio Emilia, Italy) to upset the nation’s No. 10 doubles team.
Tech, ranked No 29 in this week’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, put up a battle in the doubles competition, but lost two of the matches for the first point of the day and Virginia took five of the six singles matches for the win.
After dropping the doubles point, Patrick Daciek (Jr., Severna Park, Md.) lost, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 2 against third-ranked Alex Domijan and the Cavaliers increased the lead to 3-0 as Will Beck (Sr., Potomac, Md.) dropped his No. 5 match, 6-2, 6-1, to No. 105 Justin Shane. UVa clinched the victory at No. 3 when Tech’s Pedro Graber (r-Sr., Santiago, Chile) fell, 6-1, 6-3, against 10th-ranked Sanam Singh.
Tech newcomer Francesc Aulina Fajula (Fr., Barcelona, Spain) lost in his collegiate debut, 6-2, 6-4, in the No. 6 match against 77th-ranked Julen Uriguen and Tocci dropped his No. 4 contest, 6-4, 6-3, to No.19 Jarmere Jenkins.
In doubles action to open the evening, Virginia’s No. 3 ranked duo of Courtney/Shabaz won, 8-3, at No. 1 over Beck/Graber, but Tech responded in a big way as Somen/Tocci upset 10th-ranked Domijan/Jenkins, 8-2, at No. 2 to level the competition. The Cavaliers won the doubles point as Daciek/Sebastien Jacques (Magog, Quebec, Canada) lost to Steven Eelkman Rooda/Singh, 9-7.
Tech returns to the court on Sun., Feb. 13, when the Hokies look to even their ACC record at No. 63 Maryland in a noon match.
#1 Virginia 7, #29 Virginia Tech 0
Singles
1. Luka Somen (VT) def. #27 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. #3 Alex Domijan (UVa) def. Patrick Daciek (VT) 6-2, 6-0
3. #10 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. Pedro Graber (VT) 6-1, 6-3
4. #19 Jarmere Jenkins (UVa) def. Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci (VT) 6-4, 6-3
5. #105 Justin Shane (UVa) def. Will Beck (VT) 6-2, 6-1
6. #77 Julen Uriguen (UVa) def. Francesc Aulina Fajula (VT) 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 5, 3*, 6, 4, 1
Doubles
1. #3 Courtney/Shabaz (UVa) def. Beck/Graber (VT) 8-3
2. Somen/Tocci (VT) def. #10 Domijan/Jenkins (UVa) 8-2
3. Steven Eelkman Rooda/Singh (UVa) def. Daciek/Sebastien Jacques (VT) 9-7
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3*
*clinching point
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