March 17, 2006

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Rice University came away with a 5-2 victory over 35th ranked San Diego Friday at USD's West Tennis Courts. With the loss, San Diego is now 8-5 on the season and Rice improves to 9-5.

Pierrick Ysern and Thomas Liversage were the only Torero duo to clinch a victory in the doubles ladder with an 8-6 win over Robert Searle and Tony Haerle. The Owls took the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.

Senior Oscar Plotnik came away with one of two Torero victories in singles. He defeated Rice's Ben Harknett at the No. 2 spot by scores of 7-6 and 6-3. Jonas Mouly downed his opponent, Christoph Müller, at No. 6 singles by scores of 6-1 and 6-4. No. 45 Pierrick Ysern lost at No. 1 singles to Robert Searle, who currently ranks 59th in the nation. Scores went 7-6 and 6-2. Thomas Liversage and Ryo Sekiguchi took their singles matches to three sets apiece, but couldn't hold on as Liversage lost 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 at No. 4 singles and Sekiguchi dropped his match at the No. 5 spot (4-6, 6-1, 4-6).

The Toreros face Dartmouth College Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at USD's West Tennis Courts.

Final Results
USD 2 Rice 5

Doubles
1) Ysern/Liversage (USD) def. Searle/Haerle (Rice) 8-6
2) Knupfer/Zivojinovic (Rice) def. Plotnik/Mouly (USD) 9-8
3) Müller/Harknett (Rice) def. Sekiguchi/Coetzee (USD) 8-4

Singles
1) Robert Searle (Rice) def. Pierrick Ysern (USD) 7-6, 6-2
2) Oscar Plotnik (USD) def. Ben Harknett (Rice) 7-6, 6-3
3) Ralph Knupfer (Rice) def. Mirza Koristovic (USD) 6-2, 6-1
4) Tony Haerle (Rice) def. Thomas Liversage (USD) 6-1, 1-6, 7-5
5) Filip Zivojinovic (Rice) def. Ryo Sekiguchi (USD) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
6) Jonas Mouly (USD) def. Christoph Müller (Rice) 6-1, 6-4