Huskies Roll To Second Win

Saturday, January 20

Seattle, WA

1:00 PM

University of Washington

Portland State

January 20, 2024 | Men's Tennis

By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – In just under two hours, the Husky men's tennis team got win number two on the season, defeating visiting Portland State by a 6-1 count. Washington (2-0) had a quick win in doubles and then had five straight-set singles wins at the Nordstrom Tennis Center.

The Dawgs had some lineup tweaks but didn't miss a beat. Cesar Bouchelaghem teamed up for the first time with Heman Nama at No. 2 doubles, and they had a 6-1 win over Jovanovic/Elliott. Then Nedim Suko and Ivan Sodan clinched the point with a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles over Brignacca/Semerak.

In singles play, Sodan, who was the last to finish last week, today he got off court first, posting a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles over Hembo Mathiasen. Han-Chih Lin was a game away from the double bagel, up 6-0, 5-0, but Andrea Brignacca got one game at the end before Lin finished up the win to make it 3-0 overall.

Nama, the senior transfer from Kentucky, playing his first dual match as a Dawg, got the clinching win at No. 6 singles over Hayden Elliott. Nama won, 6-2, 6-3. Minutes later, Suko put away a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles over Hubert Theriault.

"Heman got to play in his first dual match with us, singles and doubles, and he means a lot to the team," said Head Coach Rahim Esmail. "Whether he's putting points on the board during a dual match or not, his value is hard to quantify. He brings a ton to the table, and that's one of the reasons why I recruited him is his character. Heman has an understanding of what it takes to continue to build a team which is what we're doing here."

Bouchelaghem, on the top court, stepped up late in set two to finish off a 6-2, 7-5 win over Jan Semerak to make it 6-0. The Vikings got one in the final match as a Jovanovic won a third set 10-point tiebreak over sophomore Brett Pearson at No. 3 singles.

Washington will now hit the road for the next month, starting with a big trip to Knoxville, Tenn. for ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Dawgs will face 24th-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 27, bright and early at 7 a.m. Pacific time.

"We'll be ready," said Esmail. "We're excited to get out there and play some tough matches on the road. We play Oklahoma first but whatever is up after that we'll be ready to go."

Washington Men's Tennis
January 20, 2024
Seattle, Wash. | Nordstrom Tennis Center

Washington – 6
Portland State – 1

Singles
1. Cesar Bouchelaghem (UW) def. Jan Semerak (PSU) – 6-2, 7-5
2. Han-Chih Lin (UW) def. Andrea Brignacca (PSU) – 6-0, 6-1
3. Nedim Suko (UW) def. Hubert Theriault (PSU) – 6-1, 6-1
4. Ivan Sodan (UW) def. Hembo Mathiasen (PSU) – 6-2, 6-2
5. Luka Jovanovic (PSU) def. Brett Pearson (UW) – 3-6, 6-1, (10-1)
6. Heman Nama (UW) def. Hayden Elliott (PSU) – 6-2, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 6, 3, 1, 5

Doubles
1. Suko/Sodan (UW) def. Brignacca/Semerak (PSU) – 6-2
2. Bouchelaghem/Nama (UW) def. Jovanovic/Elliott (PSU) – 6-1
3. Lin/Pearson (UW) vs. Mathiasen/Edwards (PSU) – 4-5, DNF
Order of Finish: 2, 1