BERKELEY, Calif. – The No. 30 Harvard men's tennis team (3-1) split the weekend at the ITA Kick-Off, dropping a 4-2 decision to No. 15 Cal before knocking off No. 27 NC State at Hellman Tennis Center.

Sebastian Beltrame and junior Nicky Hu clinched the doubles point against the Wolfpack's Simon Norenius and Austin Powell in an extremely close contest (7-6 (6)). Beltrame, ranked No. 86 in the nation, picked up his second win of the weekend to give the Crimson a 2-0 advantage, defeating No. 39 Nick Horton.

NC State pulled within one with a win at the five spot, but Kenny Tao pulled off a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Thomas Weigel. The Crimson dropped matches at No. 1 and No. 2, but senior captain Alex Steinroeder rallied from a 6-3 loss in the first set to take the next two, 7-6 (2) and 7-5 and secure the Harvard win.   

In the first match of the weekend, the Crimson fell to host Cal, 4-2. The Bears secured the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spot.  

Harvard knotted the score at 1-1, as Beltrame edged Billy Griffith, 6-3, 7-6 (4). Hu put up a valiant effort against No. 93 Filip Bergevi, but dropped a 7-6 (5), 7-5 decision. A win by Cal in the No. 5 position put the Bears up, 3-1, but Steinroeder kept Harvard alive with a gutsy 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 win over Oskar Wikberg. Andre Goransson secured the match at the No. 1 position with a three-set win over senior captain Denis Nguyen.

#30 Harvard 4, #27 NC State 3
Jan 24, 2015 at Berkeley, Calif.
(Hellman Tennis Center)

Doubles competition
1. No. 19 Robbie Mudge/Ian Dempster (N.C. State) def. No. 7 Denis Nguyen/Brian Yeung (Harvard) 7-6(3)
2. Sebastian Beltrame/Nicky Hu (Harvard) def. Simon Norenius/Austin Powell (N.C. State) – 7-6(6)
3. Alex Steinroeder/Grant Solomon (Harvard) def. Thomas Weigel/Nick Horton (N.C. State) – 6-4
Harvard captured the doubles point
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2*.
*Clinched the double point

Singles competition
1. No. 51 Austin Powell (N.C. State) def. No. 57 Denise Nguyen (Harvard) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
2. Robbie Mudge (N.C. State) def. Nicky Hu (Harvard) – 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3
3. Sebastian Beltrame (Harvard) def. No. 39 Nick Horton (N.C. State) – 6-4, 6-3
4 Alex Steinroeder (Harvard) def. Beck Bond (N.C. State) – 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5
5. Simon Norenius (N.C. State) def. Brian Yeung (Harvard) – 7-6(4), 6-0
6. Kenny Tao (Harvard) def. Thomas Weigel (N.C. State) – 7-6(5), 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 6, 1, 2, 4^.
^Clinched the overall match

Match Notes:
Harvard 3-1; National ranking #30
NC State 3-2; National ranking #21

No. 15 Cal (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) defeated Harvard (2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) – 4-2
Jan. 24, 2015, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex 

Doubles
1. No. 42 Gregory Bayane/Chase Melton (Cal) def. Denis Nguyen/Brian Yeung (Harvard) - 6-3
2. No. 40 Andre Goransson/Oskar Wikberg (Cal) vs. Sebastian Beltrame/Nicky Hu (Harvard) – Abandoned
3. Filip Bergevi/Mads Engsted (Cal) def. Alex Steinroeder/Grant Solomon (Harvard) - 6-4
Cal captured the doubles point

Order of Finish: 3, 1*

*Clinched the double point

Singles
1. No. 106 Andre Goransson (Cal) def. No. 57 Denis Nguyen (Harvard) – 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
2. No. 93 Filip Bergevi (Cal) def. Nicky Hu (Harvard) – 7-6(5), 7-5
3. No. 86 Sebastian Beltrame (Harvard) def. Billy Griffith (Cal) – 6-3, 7-6(4)
4. Alex Steinroeder (Harvard) def. Oskar Wikberg (Cal) – 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
5. Gregory Bayane (Cal) def. Brian Yeung (Harvard) – 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
6. Hasier Pastor (Cal) vs. Kenny Tao (Harvard) – Abandoned

Order of Finish: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1^
^Clinched the overall match.