April 25, 2004

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - The Pacific men's tennis team lost the Big West championship match in 2002 and 2003 to UC Santa Barbara. They did not allow that to happen a third consecutive time. The Tigers upended the Gauchos, 4-1, in the championship match of the 2004 Big West Men's Tennis Championship at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Sunday.

The Tigers were victorious at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles spots to earn the doubles point. Michael Duong and Vladimir Zdravkovic downed Nicholas Brotman and Elad Stern, 8-4 at No. 2. At No. 3, Arnar Sigurdsson and Tyler Black romped to an 8-1 victory over Matthew Coin and Nick Edlefsen.

The singles matches were closely contested, with the Tigers winning at the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 slots. Sigurdsson was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Brotman. Duong won by the same score over senior Mike Placek. The Tigers also saw junior Niclas Otte post a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Coin. The Gauchos claimed a point at No. 6 singles when Edlefsen beat Black, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

This is Pacific's second Big West championship, as the program also captured the title in 2001. Pacific and UC Santa Barbara have combined to win the last four Big West championships.

The Tigers earned the Big West's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship in improving to 15-9 on the season. The Gauchos move to 13-8 and await whether they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. The first and second rounds will be played at host campus sites on May 14-15 or May 15-16.

Pacific (4) vs. UC Santa Barbara (1)
Sunday, April 25, 2004
Indian Wells Tennis Garden - Indian Wells, Calif.

DOUBLES
1. Anselme/Placek (UCSB) vs. Maack/Otte (PAC) - DNF
2. Duong/Zdravkovic (PAC) def. Brotman/Stern (UCSB) - 8-4
3. Sigurdsson/Black (PAC) def. Coin/Edlefsen (UCSB) - 8-1

SINGLES
1. Alex Anselme (UCSB) vs. Lennart Maack (PAC) - DNF
2. Arnar Sigurdsson (PAC) def. Nicholas Brotman (UCSB) - 6-4, 6-4
3. Michael Duong (PAC) def. Mike Placek (UCSB) - 6-4, 6-4
4. Elad Stern (UCSB) vs. Vladimir Zdravkovic (PAC) - DNF
5. Niclas Otte (PAC) def. Matthew Coin (UCSB) - 6-0, 7-5
6. Nick Edlefsen (UCSB) def. Tyler Black (PAC) - 6-2, 7-6 (5)