The Bears return home after coming up short at the Battle in the Bay Classic.
This weekend saw Cal participate in the annual Battle in the Bay Classic. Three Bears took the courts at the California Tennis Club to compete in this year’s tournament.
Though the main draw headlines the Battle in the Bay, Cal showcased four freshmen in extra singles, giving them a taste of tournament play.
“The greatest thing about the freshmen is that they don’t shy away from practice or competition, proving they’re always eager to learn what they can do better. It’s a very easy group to work with, so I see a lot of success ahead of them … I’m excited for them and hopefully the enthusiasm they brought from the start continues growing,” said Cal head coach Kris Kwinta.
Junior Derrick Chen, who dominated the qualifiers, landed himself a spot in the opening singles round of 32 against Nikolas Kuraica from the University of San Francisco.
Chen got the upper hand early and cleaned up the draw in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
Chen was not the only Bear to compete in the singles as fellow juniors Carl Emil Overbeck and Alex Chang were present as well.
Overbeck faced San Diego’s Lambert Ruland, facing a grueling three-set match, 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-0. Much like his teammate Chen, Overbeck found himself moving on to the round of 16.
On the other hand, Chang’s time in the main draw was short-lived after his draw with the nation’s 27th-ranked singles player Iiro Vasa from the University of San Diego. Chang fought to three sets, but the tournament’s fifth-seeded player was too much for the Cal junior to handle.
Moving onto the singles round of 16, Chen and Overbeck were both matched with nationally ranked opponents, ultimately ending their tournament stints.
Chen dropped both sets, 6-2, 6-4, to No. 37 ranked Ronnie Hohmann. Chen’s level of competition is not to be disregarded as Michigan State’s Hohmann appeared in the singles finals.
“I’m happy with the way I performed in general, a little bit disappointed in the second match, which I lost, but I think the hard work that I’ve been putting in is paying off,” Chen said. “I maybe overplayed a little bit … I feel like I should have hung in the match a little bit longer and tested my opponent and put him under more pressure … but there are definitely a lot of things I can work on.”
Overbeck’s second round draw was against three-seeded Jeffrey von der Schulenburg from the University of Virginia. Overbeck held his own against the 13th-ranked singles player as he lost the draw in three sets, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
“We have to be looking to get mentally tougher and to be able to move on from unfortunate situations,” Kwinta said. “This is a big part of the game, especially in a collegiate format … but I thought the chemistry was great. Guys were cheering for each other and staying close together. The team camaraderie is great, so I’m excited in that aspect for sure”.
Cal’s play didn’t end there as Overbeck and Chang paired together for doubles.
Overbeck won the previous two doubles titles at the California Tennis Club with former teammate Yuta Kikuchi, looking to three-peat with his new teammate Chang.
In the doubles round of 16 and the quarterfinals, Overbeck seemed to seamlessly mesh with Chang as they rolled past USF’s Moritz Hoffmann and Nikolas Kuraica, 8-2, and UCSB’s Pablo Masjuan and Gianluca Brunkow in the quarterfinals, 8-6.
With the title just two wins away, Overbeck and Chang met their match against Arizona’s duo of Colton Smith and Herman Hoeyerral, falling short 8-7(1).
Nonetheless, this is not the end of the road for the blue and gold, but rather just the beginning of the tennis season for Cal as each individual looks to improve on the Battle in the Bay Classic performances in future matches and tournaments.
Contact Eric Hayrapetian at Eric.hayrapetian@gmail.com
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