It’s good to be home.
That’s the sentiment shared by the U men’s tennis team after defeating Cal-State Sacramento 6-1 last Friday.
The 9-7 Utes ended a two game losing streak and remained unbeaten at home with a perfect 6-0 record. It was also the first match in their last three the Utes played at the Eccles Tennis Center, the Utes’ actual home. The previous two home matches for the U were held at the Sports Mall, because SLOC had the tennis center occupied.
Nik Yip, Daniel Carlsson, Tyler Poulsen, Daniel Lohff and Tobias Tangberg all won their singles matches.
Yip/Lohff, Poulsen/Carlsson and Corrie Scheepers/Tangberg won their doubles matches.
The only loss the Utes suffered was by Scheepers, who lost to the Hornets’ Sherif Zaher 6-0, 0-6, 6-3. That is his fourth consecutive singles competition loss.
“He’s just not playing with a lot of confidence. We’ve got to figure out how to get some confidence going,” said U coach F. D. Robbins.
Scheepers nearly lost his mother to blood clotting earlier this month. Robbins doesn’t know how much that’s affecting Scheepers’s play.
“I don’t know the answer to that question,” he said. “When things happen like that, it gives you a different perspective on things.”
Now the Utes will enjoy 12 days off before they host Idaho State on March 27.
The Utes will use the time to practice and try to iron out problem spots?things the Utes have not had much time to do recently.
“We’re excited about it,” Robbins said. “Some guys we need to work on specific shots, other guys, different strategies.”
The U doesn’t begin conference competition until April 5 in New Mexico.