The University of Utah men’s tennis team played only one match this week. On Wednesday, April 21, the Utes faced off against Weber State. This was the last match of the regular tennis season, and will hopefully send the Utes into the Pac-12 Championships riding a wave of momentum.

The Utes played one of their best matches of the entire year against in-state competitor Weber State. The match ended 6-1, and the Utes were dominant throughout. The doubles portion of the match started well for the Utes. The 3rd court Weber State team did not participate, so the Utes were only one match away from securing the doubles point. Despite only needing one victory, Slava Shainyan and Fransisco Bastias battled all the way to a 7-5 victory. The doubles portion had already been locked up by Geronimo Busleiman and Luis Flores, who won their match 6-2.

The Utes swept the doubles portion and managed to keep the same intensity for the singles match-up as well. Weber State only had 4 players, so were forced to forfeit matches on courts 5 and 6. On court 1, Busleiman showcased his clutch mentality, winning a second set tie-break to earn a point for the Utes. Mathias Gavelin and Bastias followed suit and took home straight-set victories on courts 3 and 4. Shainyan was unable to come through with a win but played two extremely close sets. 

Up Next

Saturday, April 24 will be the first day of the Pac-12 Championship. The Utah men’s team will face off against Arizona, the second seed in the tournament. The Utes have had an up and down season. They have been dominant against out-of-conference opponents, but only boast a 2-5 record against the rest of the conference. For the Utes to pull off an upset in this tournament, they will need big performances from their best players. Shainyan started the year well but has been losing in close matches of late. The former Utes no. 1 player will have to regain his prior form for the Utes to win. The Utes will also have to continue their trend of playing well in the doubles match. It is only one point, but it will be a crucial point to give the singles players some leeway.

The Utah women’s tennis team will play their opening match on Friday, April 23. The Utes will face off against Oregon, with hopes to avenge their earlier loss to the Ducks. The Utah women’s team has had a somewhat disappointing year. They played well out of conference but went winless in conference play. For the Utes to shock the world on Saturday, they will need huge performances from their top players. Emily Dush has had an excellent season. Madeline Lamoreaux and Anya Lamoreaux have been a revelation as doubles partners, and Lindsay Hung has strung together a couple of good performances. All of these Utah stars will need to shine their brightest during the Pac-12 Championship.

These matches are available to stream through Utah Tennis Streaming, and the Pac-12 championship will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.

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