Friday, March 30
Los Angeles, CA
3:00 PM
USC
4
vs
2
California
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Photo by: John McGillen
Forget Fights Back To Secure 4-2 USC Win Over Cal
March 30, 2018 | Men's Tennis, Features
The No. 14 Trojans net a Pac-12 win with a home victory over the No. 30 Golden Bears.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The No. 14 USC men's tennis gutted out an important Pac-12 win today, coming through in the clutch with a couple three-set victories that sealed a 4-2 win over visiting No. 30 California at Marks Stadium. A quick doubles point gave way to a long stretch of singles play as the Golden Bears closed in to tie things up at 2-2 before USC had Laurens Verboven and Thibault Forget pull off tight three-set decisions on courts three and six, respectively. That win improves the Trojans to 12-5 overall and to 3-0 in Pac-12 play.
USC controlled doubles play down the line in whipping up two quick wins on courts one and three while court two's Trojans held a decisive advantage when play was suspended. At the No. 1 spot, USC's #16 Brandon Holt and Riley Smith drummed up a 6-1 win over Cal's #16 Griffith/Nishimura. Soon after, Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith combined forces in matching that score to top D. Barrett/Kaya on court three to get the doubles point in Trojan territory and suspend #23 Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven's match on court two.
In singles, USC's Jack Jaede sprinted to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Cal's J.T. Nishimura on court two to stake the Trojans to a 2-0 lead. That advantage would melt away as the Golden Bears struck back with two straight-set decisions. Paul Barretto topped Jake DeVine 6-2, 7-5 to get Cal within a point, and then Ben Draper leveled things with his 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over USC's Riley Smith on court four. That left three-setters raging on three courts, testing the Trojans with crunch time. At the No. 3 spot, Laurens Verboven answered the call first. He'd recover from dropping the second set to Jack Molloy and pulled out of a 3-3 snarl in the third to ring up a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory that nudged the Trojans ahead 3-2. On court six, Thibault Forget had turned the tide on Jacob Brumm in filling a first-set slip with a 6-0 win in the second. Forget got into a tough spot in the third, trailing 2-4 before digging in to come through with the clincher. Forget's 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 comeback sealed a 4-2 win for the Trojans, leaving court one's three-set battle between #67 Daniel Cukierman and Cal's #57 Billy Griffith suspended at 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-2.
The Trojans now turn to host No. 3 Stanford tomorrow (March 31) at 1 p.m. USC is looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Cardinal in this one in order to stay perfect in Pac-12 play.
#14 USC 4, #30 California 2
March 30, 2018 | Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
DOUBLES
(1) #16 Holt/R. Smith (USC) def. #13 Griffith/Nishimura (CAL) - 6-1
(2) #23 Jaede/Verboven (USC) vs. Draper/Molloy (CAL) - 5-2 susp.
(3) Cukierman/T. Smith (USC) def. D. Barretto/Kaya (CAL) - 6-1
USC wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
(1) #67 Daniel Cukierman (USC) vs. #57 Billy Griffith (CAL) - 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-2 susp.
(2) Jack Jaede (USC) def. J.T. Nishimura (CAL) - 6-3, 6-2
(3) Laurens Verboven (USC) def. Jack Molloy (CAL) - 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
(4) Ben Draper (CAL) def. Riley Smith (USC) - 6-3, 7-6 (3)
(5) Paul Barretto (CAL) def. Jake DeVine (USC) - 6-2, 7-5
(6) Thibault Forget (USC) def. Jacob Brumm (CAL) - 3-6, 6-0, 7-5*
Order of finish: 2, 5, 4, 3, 6*
USC controlled doubles play down the line in whipping up two quick wins on courts one and three while court two's Trojans held a decisive advantage when play was suspended. At the No. 1 spot, USC's #16 Brandon Holt and Riley Smith drummed up a 6-1 win over Cal's #16 Griffith/Nishimura. Soon after, Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith combined forces in matching that score to top D. Barrett/Kaya on court three to get the doubles point in Trojan territory and suspend #23 Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven's match on court two.
In singles, USC's Jack Jaede sprinted to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Cal's J.T. Nishimura on court two to stake the Trojans to a 2-0 lead. That advantage would melt away as the Golden Bears struck back with two straight-set decisions. Paul Barretto topped Jake DeVine 6-2, 7-5 to get Cal within a point, and then Ben Draper leveled things with his 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over USC's Riley Smith on court four. That left three-setters raging on three courts, testing the Trojans with crunch time. At the No. 3 spot, Laurens Verboven answered the call first. He'd recover from dropping the second set to Jack Molloy and pulled out of a 3-3 snarl in the third to ring up a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory that nudged the Trojans ahead 3-2. On court six, Thibault Forget had turned the tide on Jacob Brumm in filling a first-set slip with a 6-0 win in the second. Forget got into a tough spot in the third, trailing 2-4 before digging in to come through with the clincher. Forget's 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 comeback sealed a 4-2 win for the Trojans, leaving court one's three-set battle between #67 Daniel Cukierman and Cal's #57 Billy Griffith suspended at 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-2.
The Trojans now turn to host No. 3 Stanford tomorrow (March 31) at 1 p.m. USC is looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Cardinal in this one in order to stay perfect in Pac-12 play.
#14 USC 4, #30 California 2
March 30, 2018 | Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
DOUBLES
(1) #16 Holt/R. Smith (USC) def. #13 Griffith/Nishimura (CAL) - 6-1
(2) #23 Jaede/Verboven (USC) vs. Draper/Molloy (CAL) - 5-2 susp.
(3) Cukierman/T. Smith (USC) def. D. Barretto/Kaya (CAL) - 6-1
USC wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
(1) #67 Daniel Cukierman (USC) vs. #57 Billy Griffith (CAL) - 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-2 susp.
(2) Jack Jaede (USC) def. J.T. Nishimura (CAL) - 6-3, 6-2
(3) Laurens Verboven (USC) def. Jack Molloy (CAL) - 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
(4) Ben Draper (CAL) def. Riley Smith (USC) - 6-3, 7-6 (3)
(5) Paul Barretto (CAL) def. Jake DeVine (USC) - 6-2, 7-5
(6) Thibault Forget (USC) def. Jacob Brumm (CAL) - 3-6, 6-0, 7-5*
Order of finish: 2, 5, 4, 3, 6*
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