ASU's men's tennis team wrapped up its first team tournament, culminating Sunday's play with a 2-2 record.
The University of California-Irvine Invitational featured doubles and singles play from five competing schools.
"This is basically a pre-season," said ASU coach Lou Belken. "We expect guys to add to their things to their game and get better."
During the pre-regional tournament, ASU competed against Portland and Loyola Marymount on Friday, UC-Irvine Saturday and UC-Riverside on Sunday.
But the Sun Devils had to wait until Saturday for their first team victory.
ASU lost its first five singles matches before freshman Paul Chappell secured his own victory in his collegiate debut, beating Portland's Bryan Thorp 6-1, 6-3.
Chappell also won in his first doubles match, paired with junior Wes Miller, as they
won 8-3.
In the afternoon match against LMU, the Sun Devils fared much better but still came up empty.
ASU's Miller and Chappell won in the number one and five spots, respectively; but the rest of the team lost hard-fought matches.
The teammates continued their winning ways Saturday against host UCI, and ASU sophomore Murilo Souza jumped into the fray with a victory of his own, beating Zac Tsai 6-4, 6-4 out of the fourth slot.
ASU defeated UCI winning three of the six singles matches and both doubles matchups.
On Sunday, ASU kept its success going, winning five of six singles matches against UC Riverside.
The squad finished the tournament 2-2 as a team, and the doubles combo of Miller and Chappell won the flight two doubles crown.
While the Sun Devils didn't see the results they had set out to achieve as a team, Belken said he noticed improvement from match to match.
"You always want to win," Belken said. "That's number one.
"But you also want to try different things. Would we rather see more wins? Yes, but come January, these results are meaningless."
Juan Carlos Rebaza, the team's top player, lost in his lone match at the All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla.
Florida Atlantic Olivier Sajous defeated Rebaza Thursday, 6-4, 7-6.
"Like the rest of the team," Belken said, "He did things well and found some things he needs to work on."
Reach the reporter at: andrew.pentis@asu.edu.
