Next Match:
#40 Santa Clara
3/29/2026 | 10:00 AM
Mar. 29 (Sun) / 10:00 AM
 #40 Santa Clara
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland dropped a tough home match to the No. 13 San Diego Toreros 4-0 Friday in West Coast Conference men’s tennis action at the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center. The Pilots battled despite being without senior Nikola Keremedchiev, who has played at the top of the singles and doubles lineup all season.
The Toreros (13-4, 1-0 WCC) secured the doubles point behind wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Portland’s No. 3 tandem of Cade Fernando and Tannor Binder were tied 5-5 when their match was abandoned.
The Pilots (5-10, 0-2) pushed San Diego in singles with three of the four completed matches going a full three sets.
No. 46-ranked Oliver Tarvet doubled the Torero lead with a win over Fernando at No. 1 and then Lambert Ruland made it 3-0 with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 comeback against Lucas Kimelman at No. 3.
Portland’s Tom Garcia and Manvydas Balciunas of USD locked into a three-plus hour battle at No. 2 before Balciunas came away with the match-clinching point by a 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 margin.
Pilot junior Stefan Skobelev was leading Adrien Berrut 3-0 in the third set at No. 4 and Binder was down a set in a close one with Neo Niedner at No. 5 when the match was abandoned.
“I’m really proud of our effort today,” Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. “That’s the best team we will play all season and we battled them in several spots. Tom was awesome and actually served for the match and Stefan was up in the third when the match got called. We really put our focus on ourselves today, staying on our side of the court and playing the best we can without expectation from what the other side should or shouldn’t do. I think that mentality gave us the best possible effort.”
Portland will continue WCC action against another ranked opponent when No. 40 Santa Clara visits on Sunday at 10 a.m.
#13 San Diego 4, Portland 0
Portland, Ore. (Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center)
March 27, 2026
Singles
1. #46 Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. Cade Fernando (POR) 6-1, 6-3
2. Manvydas Balciunas (USD) def. Tom Garcia (POR) 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5
3. Lambert Ruland (USD) def. Lucas Kimelman (POR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. Stefan Skobelev (POR) vs. Adrien Berrut (USD) 1-6, 7-6 (2), 3-0, unfinished
5. Tannor Binder (POR) vs. Neo Niedner (USD) 4-6, 0-1, unfinished
6. Lucca Lafrance (POR) vs. Luc Wieland (USD) unfinished
Doubles
1. #27 Berrut/Ruland (USD) def. Skobelev/Kimelman (POR) 6-2
2. Tarvet/Wieland (USD) def. Garcia/Eli Noel (POR) 6-4
3. Fernando/Binder (POR) vs. Balciunas/Timo Barthes (USD) 5-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
Portland 5-10, 0-2 WCC
#13 San Diego 13-4, 1-0 WCC
Order of Finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,3,2)
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