USC Defeats UCI to Win Anteater Tennis Classic

USC, ranked No. 2 in the nation, defeated No. 13 UC Irvine, 5-1, for the championship of the Anteater Marriott Tennis Classic on Sunday at Irvine.

The Trojans, who were the tournament’s top-seeded team, won five of six singles matches. Brian MacPhie, ranked 36th in the nation, beat No. 33 Mike Roberts, 6-2, 7-5, and No. 21 Byron Black beat No. 59 Brett Hansen-Dent, 6-1, 6-1, to pace USC. Irvine’s Brett Stern, who defeated David Ekerot, 6-1, 6-3, was the lone winner for the Anteaters (14-5), who lost for the second time in 11 matches.

Irvine’s Charles Wheeler was forced to retire in the second game of the first set when he was hit under the left eye by a volley from Jon Leach, former standout at Laguna Beach High. Wheeler was taken to UCI Medical Center and released Sunday evening.