Men's Tennis Completes Strong Showing at 3C2A State Championships

The Riverside City College men's tennis team qualified its entire roster top participate in the 2023 3C2A Individual State Championships on Ojai, CA on Thursday through Saturday. The Tiger's efforts found multiple participants breezing through the bracket to highlight an exciting three-day event.

SINGLES

Sophomore Rafael Rullan had an incredible opening day by earning a pair of three-set victories. His first came in the opening round after dropping his first set, 5-7. He roared back to take a commanding 6-0, 6-2 victory. He went on to the round of 64 and earned a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win.

The round of 16 proved to be just as competitive as he found himself to be in another three-set battle. After falling in the first set once again, he bounced back to win by the final count of 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. However, he eventually fell in the quarterfinals.

Sophomore Carlos Rullan won his opening round matchup, 6-2, 6-1, but went on to lose later in the day in the second round by the final score of 6-0, 6-0. Freshman Enrico Recchia earned a two-set win in the opening round by the final count of 7-5, 6-1, but fell in two sets in the following round.

Freshman Austin Harvill got the job done in two sets in the opening round, 6-1, 6-2, but was bested ion three sets in the following round. The same was true for freshman Emilio Real as he cruised to an easy 6-0, 6-0, but fell in two sets in the next round.

Freshman Raphael Delente lost a three-set match in the first round, 0-6, 6-2, 0-6.

DOUBLES

The Rullan brothers, who were the top Orange Empire Conference (OEC) pairing entering into play on Thursday, had the most success out of any Tiger duo. They started with a 6-0, 6-1 victory in the opening round, backed by a 6-4, 6-0 win in the next round. They continued on to win a tough 6-7, 7-6, 10-4 tiebreaking third set in the round of 16. All three sets went into tiebreakers with the bothers having the last laugh.

They ultimately fell in the quarterfinals by the final score of 3-6, 2-6.

Recchia and Real earned two victories with the first coming by the final count of 6-0, 6-2. They continued on to their second-consecutive two-set win at 6-2, 6-2. However, they fell victim to a 2-6, 2-6 loss in the round of 16.

Harvill and Delente teamed up and experienced an opening-round victory, 7-5, 6-2, but fell in the next round 3-6, 3-6.