HONOLULU, Hawaii The No. 20-ranked Boise State men’s tennis team went into the 2009 Western Athletic Conference championship tournament as the favorite and No. 1 seed, but host and No. 3 seed University of Hawaii was able to defend their home courts and pull out a 4-2 upset win over the Broncos. No. 68-ranked Hawaii was able to pick up the doubles point and follow up with three singles win, while the Broncos were only able to pick up two singles wins before the Rainbow Warriors had clinched the match. Boise State falls to 22-8 on the season while Hawaii improves to 10-9 while winning their second consecutive WAC title.

The Broncos only ranked doubles team, No. 39-ranked Kean Feeder and James Meredith, were able to pick up the sole doubles win for the Broncos, defeating Jeff Fitch and Dennis Lajola, 8-3 in the No. 1 match. The Rainbow Warriors were able to bounce back with an 8-4 win by Leo Rosenberg and Andreas Weber over Stanley Sarapanich and Clancy Shields in the No. 2 match. With the doubles matches tied at 1-1, Hawaii’s Sascha Heinemann and Craig Faulk were able to muscle out an 8-6 win over Blane Shields and Matt Solomon in the No. 3 spot to clinch the doubles point.

Blane Shields rebounded in singles play, picking up the first singles win of the day and defeating Philipp Eberhard, 6-2, 6-0, in the No. 6 match to tie the team score at 1-1. Hawaii went up 2-1 in the team running when Fitch was able to down Sarapanich, 6-4, 7-5, in the No. 5 match. UH’s Heinemann earned the team’s third point when he defeated Cristian Hodel 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 4 match.

The Broncos’ No. 74-ranked Feeder pulled out an upset win over No. 60-ranked Dennis Lajola in the No. 1 match, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, to bring the Broncos back within one point of Hawaii. Feeder’s effort was not enough, however, with Hawaii’s Rosenberg clinching the team title with an upset win over No. 85-ranked Meredith, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, in the No. 3 singles match. Clancy Shields was leading in the second set of a 4-6, 4-3 effort in the No. 2 match with Weber when the match was called due to Hawaii’s crown capturing win in the No. 3 singles match.

Boise State landed three Broncos on the 2009 WAC All-Tournament Team with seniors Kean Feeder and Clancy Shields making the singles all-tournament team. Feeder was joined by freshman James Meredith as one of three doubles teams in the WAC to earn the All-Tournament honor.

Boise State will await the assignment of NCAA bids which are set to be announced at 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 on ESPNews.

2009 WAC All-Tournament Team
Singles
Rudy Siwy, Fresno State
Kean Feeder, Boise State
Clancy Shields, Boise State
Jeff Fitch, Hawai`i
Sascha Heinemann, Hawai`i
Dennis Lajola, Hawai`i 

Doubles
Andreas Weber/Leo Rosenberg, Hawai`i
Kean Feeder/James Meredith, Boise State
Dennis Lajola/Jeff Fitch, Hawai`i

Tennis Match Results

Boise State vs Hawaii

Apr 26, 2009 at Honolulu, HI

(UH Tennis Complex)

#68 Hawaii 4, #20 Boise State 2

Singles competition

1. #74 Kean Feeder (BSU) def. #60 Dennis Lajola (UH) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

2. Andreas Weber (UH) vs. #26 Clancy Shields (BSU) 6-4, 3-4, unfinished

3. Leo Rosenberg (UH) def. #85 James Meredith (BSU) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5

4. Sascha Heinemann (UH) def. Cristian Hodel (BSU) 6-2, 6-4

5. Jeff Fitch (UH) def. Stanley Sarapanich (BSU) 6-4, 7-5

6. Blane Shields (BSU) def. Philipp Eberhard (UH) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. #39 Kean Feeder/James Meredith (BSU) def. Jeff Fitch/Dennis Lajola (UH) 8-3

2. Leo Rosenberg/Andreas Weber (UH) def. Stanley Sarapanich/Clancy Shields (BSU) 8-4

3. Sascha Heinemann/Craig Faulk (UH) def. Blane Shields/Matt Solomon (BSU) 8-6

Match Notes:

Boise State 22-8; National ranking #20

Hawaii 10-9; National ranking #68

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,5,4,1,3)

2009 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship

No. 1 seed Boise State vs. No. 3 seed Hawaii