The defending 3C2A State Champion men's tennis team opened their 2025 season with an easy 6-1 victory at NCAA Div. III Whittier College Tuesday afternoon. Yusen Sato and Haru Nakayama each recorded a pair of wins, together in doubles and in Nos. 2 and 4 singles, respectively.
The Pirates narrowly dropped the doubles point to the Poets, falling in two of the three matches. Sato and Nakayama captured No. 1 doubles 7-5. However, Rafael Matias and Leo Pham fell in the No. 3 slot in a close, 7-6 decision. Yanis Guerrout and Manolo Vanbesien fell in No. 2 doubles, 6-3.
VC rebounded to sweep the singles matches. Matias won in the No. 1 singles match, 6-1, 6-2 and Guerrout captured the No. 3 slot, 6-2, 6-2. Nakayama also gave up four games in two sets, winning his No. 4 match 6-3, 6-1 and Sato won in No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-4. Max Beaudry won his No. 6 singles contest in three sets, 6-4. 2-6, 6-2 and Pham came from behind to win in No. 5 singles, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Ventura will next host Fullerton in a men's and women's contest on Friday Feb. 7 at 1:00 pm.
Ventura 6, Whittier 1
Doubles
1. Yusen Sato/Haru Nakayama (VC) def. Ahmed Amer/Sam Neijenhuizen (WC), 7-5
2. Yanis Guerrout/Manolo Vanbesien (VC) lost to Joey Henderson/Yash Nagdev (WC), 6-3
3. Rafael Matias/Leo Pham (VC) lost to Aravind Binoj/Dario Ludusan (WC), 7-6
Singles
1. Matias (VC) def. Nagdev (WC), 6-1, 6-2
2. Sato (VC) def. Henderson (WC), 7-5, 6-4
3. Guerrout (VC) def. Amer (WC), 6-2, 6-2
4. Nakayama (VC) def. Neijenhuizen (WC), 6-3, 6-1
5. Pham (VC) def. Binoj (WC), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Max Beaudry (VC) def. Ludusan (WC), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2