UCI’s Berlin Joins Eight Teammates in Tennis Draw

IRVINE — Ken Berlin won two qualifying matches Wednesday to join eight UC Irvine teammates in the 64-player main draw for the ITCA Southern California men’s tennis championships at UC Irvine.

Berlin, a sophomore, received a first-round bye, then defeated Sean Flynn of Loyola Marymount, 6-1, 6-3, and Wayne Bowyer of Nevada Las Vegas, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6. Berlin will face Jason Sher of UCLA in a first-round match at 10 a.m. today.

Three Anteaters failed to advance. In the first round, Rajan Saggar was eliminated by Dave Hostalek of UNLV, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, and Roger Vig lost to Mark Ellison of UC Santa Barbara, 6-2, 6-4. Luke Fitzsimons lost to Lev Shuarts of Pepperdine, 6-1, 7-6, in a second-round match.

Main-draw play begins at 8:15 a.m. today, including a match between fifth-seeded Jon Leach, who graduated from Laguna Beach High in January and now attends USC, and Jacobo Lamonaco of Pepperdine.