Cal men’s tennis drops 4-1 decision at San Diego after early doubles deficit proves costly

San Diego takes doubles point, then closes match in singles as Cal’s comeback chances fade

The California men’s tennis team’s attempt to secure a ranked road win ended Feb. 8, 2026, with a 4-1 loss to San Diego at the Toreros’ home facility in San Diego. The dual match began with decisive doubles positioning by the Toreros and concluded when San Diego secured the clinching point at No. 1 singles.

Cal entered the day at 5-5 and faced its fifth ranked opponent of the 2026 spring season. San Diego improved to 6-2 with the victory, continuing a run of early-season results that have kept the Toreros among the top programs nationally.

Doubles point set the tone for the dual

San Diego captured the opening doubles point, a pivotal swing in the college tennis scoring format where the first team to four total points wins the match. Cal dropped completed doubles decisions on courts one and two, while the third doubles match was left unfinished once the point was decided.

• At No. 1 doubles, San Diego’s Adrien Berrut and Lambert Ruland defeated Cal’s Timofey Stepanov and Tiago Silva, 6-3, to clinch the doubles point.
• At No. 2 doubles, San Diego’s Stian Klaassen and Manvydas Balciunas won 6-0 over Cal’s Juncheng “Drew” Meduri and Fryderyk Lechno Wasiutynski.

Lechno Wasiutynski earns Cal’s lone point

In singles, San Diego extended its lead when Klaassen posted a straight-sets win at No. 4 singles over Meduri, 6-1, 6-1. Cal responded with its only point of the afternoon when Lechno Wasiutynski defeated Vincent Marysko at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 6-2.

San Diego moved within one point of victory as Neo Niedner beat Cal’s Lucas Munk Mesa at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-2. With multiple courts still in progress, the dual ended when Oliver Tarvet won at No. 1 singles over Silva, 6-2, 6-4, providing the fourth point needed to clinch the match.

Matches left unfinished at the time of the clinch

Two singles matches were in progress when Tarvet’s win ended the dual under college tennis rules:

• No. 3 singles: Stepanov trailed Balciunas, 6-4, with the second set tied at 4-4.
• No. 6 singles: Cal’s Matiss Pouatcha led Berrut, 6-4, and held a 4-3 edge in the second set.

The result underscored how the opening doubles point can shape the match pathway, forcing the trailing team to win four of six singles courts to recover.

What’s next

Cal’s schedule next includes a home match against Pacific and a road match at Saint Mary’s on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. San Diego’s next scheduled dual match is Feb. 21, 2026, at UC Santa Barbara.