WALLA WALLA, Wash. –Â
Thirteenth-ranked Whitman College completed play in its annual quad at the Bratton Indoor Tennis Center Sunday afternoon with its third win in as many tries against a nationally-ranked opponent.After getting the best of the No. 18 University of Texas-Tyler Patriots and the 23rd-ranked University of Santa Cruz Banana Slugs on Friday, the Missionaries men's tennis team chopped down No. 21 University of Redlands, 6-3.
"It was an essential match," Jivkov said. "I thought our returns were on point today, but it could have been a lot quicker if there weren't some volley errors.
"Colton and I felt comfortable playing together," Jivkov said. "That's why we pulled it off."
Phillip Locklear claimed one of the more intense matches of the day which was highlighted by a 6-4 verdict in the third set at No. 3 singles. The triumph was one of five achieved by Whitman in the singles competition.
"It was a mental battle because it was break after break after break," Locklear said. "I stayed in the match and let negative things go."
Malesovas (No. 1),
Zach Hewlin (2), Jivkov (4) and
Chase Friedman (5) also tallied W's for Whitman. Malesovas outlasted Redlands' Patrick Lipscomb, 7-6, 5-7, 7-6.
"That was the premier match of the early season in Division III tennis," Whitman coach
Jeff Northam said of Malesovas' three-hour gut wrencher. "The intensity and the level of play was absurdly high. You won't see a match that good at the D-III level."
The Missionaries lone singles defeat of the entire weekend came aboutÂ
on Sunday when
James Rivers was forced to retire at No. 6 singles due to an injury.
Whitman opens defense of it 2014 Northwest Conference crown next weekend when it travels to George Fox University on Saturday and to Pacific (Ore.) University on Sunday.
