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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Arizona men’s tennis season ends in Pac-12 Championships

%09Junior+Sumeet+Shinde+returns+Stanford%26%238217%3Bs+serve+during+the+doubles+match+of+Arizona%26%238217%3Bs+4-3+loss+against+Stanford+at+the+LaNelle+Robson+Tennis+Center+on+March+30.+The+Wildcats%26%238217%3B+loss+to+Utah+on+Wednesday+in+the+Pac-12+Championships+ended+their+season.+
Rebecca Marie Sasnett

Junior Sumeet Shinde returns Stanford’s serve during the doubles match of Arizona’s 4-3 loss against Stanford at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center on March 30. The Wildcats’ loss to Utah on Wednesday in the Pac-12 Championships ended their season.

The Arizona men’s tennis (12-15, 1-7 Pac-12) ended their 2014 campaign on Wednesday, falling to No. 57 Utah 4-0 at the Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, Calif.

“Utah played very well today and deserved the win,” head coach Tad Berkowitz said. “We had a tough break with the injury to Naoki in doubles and obviously I would of liked to have seen how things would of played out if he was healthy. All in all though Utah played well and got us today.”

The Wildcats faced an early 1-0 deficit after dropping the doubles point.

Utes’ Slim Hamza and Cedic Willems defeated Arizona’‘s Naoki Takeda Sumeet Shinde while UA’s Kieren Thompson and Mario Urquidi also fell to Utah’s Ben Tasevec and Devin Lane.

Arizona couldn’t turn it around in singles, as Takeda retired down 3-0 in the second set after dropping the first 6-0 to Tasevac.

Robin Chou was the next Wildcat to fall. He was beaten by Matt Cowley in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.

The match was clinched when Thompson fell on court one to Hamza 6-4, 6-1.

The team loses seniors Thompson, Urquidi, and Dominic Bermudez next season but returns nine including Takeda and Shinde.

“I am so proud of the guys for the way they competed all season,” Berkowitz said. “We had a couple of tough breaks during the year but the guys kept moving forward without looking back. I give them a lot of credit for that. This season will definitely make us tougher as we head into next year.

—Follow Zoe Wolkowitz @zowolko

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