Complete Results (PDF)
DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis men's tennis freshman Andrei Volgin capped off an undefeated opening weekend by winning the singles and doubles titles at the Aggie Invitational on Sunday. The biochemistry and molecular biology major went a combined 9-0 on the weekend.
Volgin partnered with Arjith Jayaraman to win the B flight doubles championship over teammates Dariush Jalali and Chethan Swanson, 8-3, starting the day for the Aggies.
Transitioning to singles, Volgin was again part of an all-UC Davis matchup, taking on fellow frosh Brett Brinkman in the semifinal of the B flight. Brinkman proved to give Volgin the toughest match of the tournament, as he claimed the first set 6-3. Volgin battled back to win the second by an identical score, and closed the match 6-1 in the third. That was the first — and only — set Volgin dropped in the entire tournament.
Advancing to the final, Volgin dominated Nevada's Daniel Dudockin, posting a 6-1, 6-3 victory to win his second championship of the day. Volgin joins standout alumni as Aggie Invite champions, as 2017 graduates Alec Adamson (2013), James Wade (2013), Bryce McKelvie (2014, 2015), and Eli Whittle (2016) have all claimed the B flight singles title.
"Seeing Andrei, the freshman, take the doubles crown with Arjith and then come back and take the singles was pretty awesome," said head coach Eric Steidlmayer. "I mean it's pretty hard to do — he won nine matches in three days to do it, so it's really cool for him."
Ivan Thamma put on a show in his semifinal singles match in the A flight, rebounding from dropping the first set 3-6 to second-seeded Sema Pankin (Portland) by reeling off six straight games to blank Pankin 6-0 in the second. Thamma battled throughout the third, but fell just short, and lost 5-7. Pankin would go on to win the final match over top-seeded Julien Evrard (Nevada) in straight sets.
In extra singles, Jayaraman and Swanson both defeated either opponents, with Jayaraman beating Pacific's Akram El Sallaly in straights, while Swanson went the distance, and edged Portland's Issa Yoshida 10-6 in the third set breaker. Jalali, Daniel Landa, and Mitchell Davis were also in action in singles play.
"Just really happy that our guys competed so well in the first tournament of the year," continued Steidlmayer. "The effort levels were really high. We're definitely going to get better physically and mentally from this point forward by maintaining that level. Overall, it was just a really positive experience and great to be at home at the Marya Welch Tennis Center and have a great weekend."
The Aggies will be on the road next weekend, with most of the team traveling to the Fresno Bulldog Invitational October 4-6. Thamma and David Goulak will hit the road to Tulsa, Okla. for the 2019 Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships, competing in the prequalifying singles and qualifying doubles rounds.
AGGIE INVITATIONAL
SUNDAY RESULTS (UC Davis only)
Men's B Doubles
Final
Andrei Volgin/Arjith Jayaraman (UCD) def. Dariush Jalali/Chethan Swanson (UCD) 8-3
Men's A Singles
Semifinal
(2) Semen Pankin (UP) def. (4) Ivan Thamma (UCD) 6-3, 0-6, 7-5
Men's B Singles
Semifinal
Andrei Volgin (UCD) def. Brett Brinkman (UCD) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Final
Andrei Volgin (UCD) def. Daniel Dudockin (NEV) 6-1, 6-3
Extra Singles
Arjith Jayaraman (UCD) def. Akram El Sallaly (PAC) 6-2, 7-5
Nathan Hamption (PAC) def. Dariush Jalali (UCD) 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(5)
Chethan Swanson (UCD) def. Issa Yoshida (UP) 6-1, 2-6, 1-0(6)
Nicklas Oberg (UP) def. Daniel Landa (UCD) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0(9)
Anton de la Puente (SAC) def. Mitchell Davis (UCD) 6-4, 6-1
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Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
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