Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic
Suta Repeats as Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic Champion
10/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 14, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - For the second consecutive year, Fresno State's Stefan Suta swept the singles and doubles in the 10th annual Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic, played at Fresno State.
Suta, a junior seeded 10th in the tournament, dropped only one set on his way to the singles crown. He opened play Sunday by taking out teammate Marc Schaerer 7-6 (1), 6-3. His opponent in the finals, top-seeded teammate Hector Almada, reached the championship match by beating 13th-seeded Amar Sigurdsson of Pacific 7-5, 6-3.
But the finals turned out to be anticlimactic. With Suta ahead 3-2 in the first set, Almada became ill and retired from the match. Suta is the fifth consecutive Bulldog to win the Bulldog Classic singles title. He also joins former Bulldog Jake Bragonier (1994-96) as the only players to capture more than one Bulldog Classic championship.
In doubles, Almada was healthy enough to team with Suta to win the doubles. The third-seeded team advanced to the finals with an 8-5 victory over Paul Dilloway and Greg Lee of UC Davis, then won in the finals over Mike Bruggemann and Erich Chen of Santa Clara 8-5. Suta teamed with Nick Fustar to win the doubles last year.
Next for Fresno State is the ITA Regionals on Oct. 25-28 in Moraga, Calif.
