In their busiest week of the season, the Cerritos College men's tennis team capped it off with three wins against ranked teams from Northern California. The Falcons (18-3), ranked #2 in Southern California, opened the weekend with an 8-1 win over #2-ranked Foothill College on Friday and spent Saturday defeating both #4-ranked Fresno City College (5-1) and #1-ranked American River College (6-0). The team will resume South Coast Conference play with a 2:00 p.m. home match against Mt. San Antonio College.

Cerritos vs. Foothill: The weekend started with a convincing win, as the Falcons earned three tough doubles wins and then secured the team win with their singles play. The only loss was when freshman James Zhang (Shenzhen Luohu Foreign Language School, China) retired in the second set after winning the first set, 7-5. At the top of the singles ladder, freshmen Oleksandr Krasnov (School 106, Ukraine) and Nikita Katsnelson (Odessa Gymnasium No. 1, Ukraine) scored straight set wins after teaming up for a doubles victory. Agustin Lombardi (E.S.D.S., Argentina), Aleks Trifunovic (Katrinelunds Gymnasium, Sweden) and Eliot Dota (Paris, France) also posted wins in straight sets, while Trifunovic and Zhang won in doubles, with Lombardi teaming with Mark Antoniuk (W. 124 School, Russia) for a doubles victory.

SINGLES

Oleksandr Krasnov (CERR) def. Igor Pissarenko (FOOT), 6-4, 6-2
Nikita Katsnelson (CERR) def. Braden Holt (FOOT), 6-1, 6-2
Agustin Lombardi (CERR) def. Jacob Strabo (FOOT), 6-1, 6-2
Aleks Trifunovic (CERR) def. Joseph Greco (FOOT), 6-3, 6-1
Evan Rajanthiran (FOOT) def. James Zhang (CERR), 5-7, 2-1, retired
Eliot Dota (CERR) def. Ryan Lam (FOOT), 6-3, 6-2

DOUBLES

Oleksandr Krasnov/Nitika Katsnelson (CERR) def. Igor Pissarenko/Braden Hold (FOOT), 8-5
Aleks Trifunovic/James Zhang (CERR) def. Jacob Strabo/Evan Rajanthiran (FOOT), 8-6
Agustin Lombardi/Mark Antoniuk (CERR) def. Joseph Greco/Ryan Lam (FOOT), 8-5


Cerritos vs. Fresno City: 

Playing at a location with only four courts, the Falcons had the team score clinched before two of their singles matches could be played. They opened with a pair of doubles wins before winning the first four singles matches that were completed. Sophomore Edgar Munoz (Paramount HS) scored a 6-0, 6-2 win in the #6 spot on the singles ladder, while Krasnov (6-3, 6-2) and Lombardi (6-2, 6-1) also posted wins. The fourth singles win came at #2 with Katsnelson earning a win after his opponent retired after the Ukrainian was leading, 6-3, 1-1.

SINGLES

Oleksandr Krasnov (CERR) def. Tom Arias (FCC), 6-3, 6-2
Nikita Katsnelson (CERR) def. Kyle Rae (FCC), 6-3, 1-1, retired
Agustin Lombardi (CERR) def. Dan Nelson (FCC), 6-2, 6-1
Aleks Trifunovic vs. Jayke Ancheta (FCC) - match not completed
Eliot Dota (CERR) vs. Avi Bami (FCC) - match not completed
Edgar Munoz (CERR) def. Jordan Jicmejian (FCC), 6-0, 6-2

DOUBLES

Oleksandr Krasnov/Nikita Katsnelson (CERR) def. Tom Arias/Dan Nelson (FCC), 8-3
Kyle Rae/Jayke Ancheta (FCC) def. Aleks Trifunovic/James Zhang (CERR), 8-6
Agustin Lombardi/Mark Antoniuk (CERR) def. Avi Bami/Jordan Jicmejian (FCC), 8-2



Cerritos vs. American River:

Facing the #1-ranked team in Northern California, the Falcons handed American River College their second loss in as many days, as they shut them out. Krasnov and Katsnelson, as well as Lombardi and Antoniuk each posted 8-5 wins in doubles, while Zhang and Trifunovic rebounded from their loss earlier in the day with an 8-3 triumph. Cerritos continued to earn straight set singles wins, with Krasnov leading the way with a 6-0, 6-2 win in the #1 position. Trifunovic (6-3, 6-2), Dota (6-1, 6-2) and Munoz (6-2, 6-2) each earned wins, while the matches played by Katsnelson and Lombardi were not completed after the Falcons finished off the team win.

SINGLES

Oleksandr Krasnov (CERR) def. Cody Duong (ARC), 6-0, 6-2
Nikita Katsnelson (CERR) vs. Alex Melivk (ARC), 4-6, match was not completed
Agustin Lombardi (CERR) vs. Seppi Capul (ARC), 6-3, 2-1, match was not completed
Aleks Trifunovic (CERR) def. Dillion King (ARC), 6-3, 6-2
Eliot Dota (CERR) def. Justin Barton (ARC), 6-1, 6-2
Edgar Munoz (CERR) def. TJ Aukland (ARC), 6-2, 6-2

DOUBLES

Oleksandr Krasnov/Nikita Katsnelson (CERR) def. Cody Duong/Alex Melivk (ARC), 8-5
Aleks Trifunovic/James Zhang (CERR) def. Seppi Capul/Justin Barton (ARC), 8-3
Agustin Lombardi/Mark Antoniuk (CERR) def. Dillion King/TJ Aukland (ARC), 8-5