Hawkeyes Defeated by No. 63 Penn State in Home Finale

April 25, 2004

IOWA CITY, IA – The Iowa men’s tennis team lost its final regular season dual Sunday afternoon in a 5-2 loss to 63rd-ranked Penn State. Due to inclement weather, the match was moved indoors to the Recreation Building.

Iowa continued to struggle in doubles competition, losing all three matches. In the No. 1 match, freshmen Sebastian Delgado and Walter Valarezo were defeated by Malcolm Scatliffe and Roddy Cantey, 8-6. In the No. 2 match, sophomore Chaitu Malempati and freshman Jonny Hoak lost an 8-5 decision to Bradley Hunter and Clint Keithley. Senior Matis Jasicek and sophomore Aaron Schaechterle lost their No. 3 match to Aaron Ellis and James Crowell, 8-6.

Iowa was forced to shuffle its singles lineup after Delgado, who had played his last six matches as Iowa’s No. 1 player, was unable to compete after doubles competition. The Hawkeyes claimed their first point of the day after Hoak dominated Keithley in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, to claim the No. 3 match. Penn State then regained the advantage after Jasicek lost his No. 4 match with Stecko, 6-3, 6-2. In the No. 5 match, Schaechterle fell to Ryan Berger, 7-5, 6-3. In his first match at the No. 2 position, Valarezo lost a hard-fought battle to Cantey in three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.

Iowa claimed its second point of the day in the No. 1 match between Malempati and 98th-ranked Scatliffe. After losing the first set, 6-0, Malempati rallied to claim the second set, 7-5. Malempati carried the momentum into the third set, pulling out to a 5-0 advantage. Scatliffe fought back, winning the next four games to make the score, 5-4, but Malempati prevailed winning the next game to claim the match. The win is Malempati’s first over a ranked opponent and second win in Iowa’s top singles position.

In the final match of the day, freshman Scott Elwell lost a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Hunter in the No. 6 position.

“This season has been Murphy’s Law times ten,” said Iowa Head Coach Steve Houghton. “Injuries and inexperience have done us in.”

The Hawkeyes (3-16, 0-10) will return to action Thursday when they travel to East Lansing, MI, for the Big Ten Tournament. Time and opponent will be announced tomorrow.

RESULTS
#63 Penn State 5
Iowa 2

Singles
No. 1 Chaitu Malempati (I) def. #98 Malcolm Scatliffe (PSU), 0-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 Roddy Cantey (PSU) def. Walter Valarezo (I), 7-5, 1-6, 6-4
No. 3 Jonny Hoak (I) def. Clint Keithley (PSU), 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 Todd Stecko (PSU) def. Matis Jasicek (I), 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 Ryan Berger (PSU) def. Aaron Schaechterle (I), 7-5, 6-3
No. 6 Bradley Hunter (PSU) def. Scott Elwell (I), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
No. 1 Scatliffe/Cantey (PSU) def. Delgado/Valarezo (I), 8-6
No. 2 Hunter/Keithley (PSU) def. Malempati/Hoak (I), 8-5
No. 3 Aaron Ellis/James Crowell (PSU) def. Schaechterle/Jasicek (I), 8-6