LOS ANGELES – The No. 42 University of Hawai`i men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season to No. 4 UCLA, 4-1, during the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Saturday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 3-1 on the year.

 

By finishing in the top 60 of the final 2009 Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll the Rainbow Warriors gained an invitation to the Kick-Off Weekend, in essence the qualifying rounds for the 2010 ITA National Team Indoor Championships. UH, however, could not get past fourth-ranked UCLA in what was a rematch of the 2009 NCAA second round tilt won by the Bruins.

 

Each team is guaranteed two matches during the weekend and the Rainbow Warriors will next face No. 37 South Florida on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 10:00 a.m. The Bruins, meanwhile, will meet No. 17 Pepperdine with a berth to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on the line. The Waves defeated the Bulls, 4-0, in the earlier match.

 

The Bruins won the doubles point, then three of four completed singles matches to clinch the win. UH's bright spot came in the form of junior Dennis Lajola who defeated Haythem Abid, 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 1 position. Lajola improved his singles record to a perfect 4-0 in dual matches this year.

 

Jeremy Tweedt, Philipp Eberhard and Daniel Llarenas fell on courts No. 3, 5, and 6, respectively. In the unfinished matches, Andreas Weber led Holden Seguso 6-3, 4-4 on the No. 2 court, while Leo Rosenberg  trailed Matt Brooklyn 7-5, 3-1 on court No. 4.

 

1. Haythem Abid/Holden Seguso (UCLA) def. Dennis Lajola/Jeremy Tweedt (UH), 8-3

2. Amit Inbar/Nick Meister (UCLA) def. Philipp Eberhard/Andreas Weber (UH), 8-1

3. #36 Matt Brooklyn/Kallim Stewart (UCLA) led Daniel Llarenas/Leo Rosenberg (UH), 6-3, unfinshed

 

1. Dennis Lajola (UH) def. Haythem Abid (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4

2. Holden Seguso (UCLA) vs. Andreas Weber (UH) 3-6, 4-4, unfinished

3. #94 Nick Meister (UCLA) def. Jeremy Tweedt (UH) 6-4, 6-1

4. Matt Brooklyn (UCLA) vs. Leo Rosenberg (UH) 7-5, 3-1, unfinished

5. #118 Amit Inbar (UCLA) def. Philipp Eberhard (UH) 6-3, 6-3*

6. Maxime Tabatruong (UCLA) def. Daniel Llarenas (UH) 6-1, 6-3