Huskies Keep Pace But Can’t Get Past Wildcats

SEATTLE – Against the highest-ranked opponent they have faced all season, the Huskies kept it close on every single court today at Bill Quillian Stadium, but 10th-ranked Arizona took the 4-0 victory as the Huskies will close out the regular season at home on Saturday. UW didn't lose a single set by more than one break of serve, but couldn't get over the hump to start stringing wins together.
 
Tomorrow, Washington (8-13, 2-5 Pac-12) will host Senior Day at 1 p.m. at Bill Quillian Stadium against 22nd-ranked Arizona State, where it will honor seniors Jim Hendrikx, Han-Chih Lin, and Heman Nama.
 
Arizona improved to 20-3 and 6-1 in conference with the win.
 
The Huskies shook up their doubles lineup and saw some positives from it, but the Wildcats took the point for the 1-0 lead. Dzianis Zharyn teamed with Brett Pearson at the No. 1 position but the two lost their first match together to 29th-ranked Smith/Friend. Cesar Bouchelaghem and Han-Chih Lin paired up at No. 2, falling 6-4 to Hoeyerall/Padgham. The No. 3 match was tied at 4-4 when Arizona clinched, with Heman Nama teaming with Nedim Suko.
 
In singles, Bouchelaghem was trying to force a third set at 5-5 in the second against 20th-ranked Colton Smith, but Smith got a break of serve to end it, 6-3, 7-5, and score the first singles point. The next match to finish was at No. 6, where Jim Hendrikx had two hard-fought sets against Nick Lagaev, but fell just short in each one, 4-6, 4-6.
 
Dzianis Zharyn had split sets at No. 2 against 30th-ranked Jay Friend and was in a third set, and Han-Chih Lin was down a set but leading 5-4 in his second set against No. 75 Gustaf Strom at third singles. At that point, Nedim Suko and Ivan Sodan were each in second set tiebreakers, both needing to win to keep a path open for the Huskies.
 
Sodan saved four match points in a row from 2-6 in his tiebreak and had a set point against Casper Christensen, but the Wildcat saved it and clinched the match with an 11-9 tiebreak win. Suko was facing match point at 4-6 in his tiebreak.
 
 
 
Washington Men's Tennis
April 19, 2024
Seattle, Wash. | Bill Quillian Stadium  
 
Washington – 0
#10 Arizona – 4
 
Singles
1. (#20) Colton Smith (Ariz) def. Cesar Bouchelaghem (UW) – 6-3, 7-5
2. Dzianis Zharyn (UW) vs. (#30) Jay Friend (Ariz) – 6-3, 4-6, 2-3, DNF
3. Han-Chih Lin (UW) vs. (#75) Gustaf Strom (Ariz) – 4-6, 5-4, DNF
4. Nedim Suko (UW) vs. Herman Hoeyeraal (Ariz) – 4-6, 6-6, DNF
5. Casper Christensen (Ariz) def. Ivan Sodan (UW) – 6-3, 7-6 (9)
6. Nick Lagaev (Ariz) def. Jim Hendrikx (UW) – 6-4, 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 5
 
Doubles
1. (#29) Smith/Friend (Ariz) def. Zharyn/Pearson (UW) – 6-3
2. Hoeyeraal/Padgham (Ariz) def. Bouchelaghem/Lin (UW) – 6-4
3. Nama/Suko (UW) vs. Rozin/Strom (Ariz) – 4-4, DNF
Order of Finish: 1, 2