GLENDALE, Ariz. – Hope International fell 4-3 in excruciating fashion to OUAZ in the 2026 GSAC Men's Tennis Championship First Round on Thursday at the Paseo Racquet Center.

The Royals finished their season 9-13.

HIU held a 3-1 lead in the match after winning the doubles point and singles matches at the No. 2 and No. 5 positions. But the Spirit won the final three contests – each time rebounding from a set deficit – and prevailing in the final two sets for the requisite three comeback points.

Reid Lizardo and Sebastien Dizon Perez handled Kasper Olofsson and Albin By on line two in the doubles battle, taking the 6-2 victory. After OUAZ won at No. 3, the Royals clinched the doubles point as Karan Srivastava and Thomas Folsom legged out a 7-6 (5) tiebreaker triumph over Arvid Lindblad and Filip Novacek.

The Spirit tied the match at 1-1 with Lindblad earning a 6-1, 6-3 win against Srivastava at the top spot.

But Lizardo fired back with a powerful 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 2 against Novacek, and Perez got the Royals within a point of the team triumph, posting a 6-2, 7-5 win against Boston McFarland at the fifth spot.

Folsom took the first set 6-4 against Fabian Wetter, but the Spirit No. 3 player won the next two sets 6-2, 6-2 to bring OUAZ within 3-2. Kaito Henderson seemed in command of his match at No. 4, taking a 6-2 victory against Olofsson in the first set. But Olofsson recovered to post 6-3 and 6-1 wins to knot the contest at 3-3.

The match came down to No. 6, where Mohamed El Sheikh and Max Lopez Gonzalez were embroiled in a back-and-forth battle. Lopez Gonzalez won by the slimmest of margins, outlasting El Sheikh 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to advance the Spirit into the GSAC semifinals. 

MEN'S TENNIS
No. 5 OUAZ vs. No. 4 Hope International
PASEO RACQUET CENTER
4/16/26

Doubles
1. Karan Srivastava/Thomas Folsom (HIU) def. Arvid Lindblad/Filip Novacek (OUAZ) – 7-6 (5)
2. Reid Lizardo/Sebastien Dizon Perez (HIU) def. Kasper Olofsson/Albin By (OUAZ) – 6-2
3. Max Lopez Gonzalez/Dashik Vieira (OUAZ) def. Dylan Barrett/Kaito Henderson (HIU) – 6-4

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1

Singles
1. Arvid Lindblad (OUAZ) def. Karan Srivastava (HIU) – 6-1, 6-3
2. Reid Lizardo (HIU) def. Filip Novacek (OUAZ) – 6-1, 6-4
3. Fabian Wetter (OUAZ) def. Thomas Folsom (HIU) – 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. Kasper Olofsson (OUAZ) def. Kaito Henderson (HIU) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
5. Sebastien Dizon Perez (HIU) def. Boston McFarland (OUAZ) – 6-2, 7-5
6. Max Lopez Gonzalez (OUAZ) def. Mohamed El Sheikh  (HIU) – 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Order of Finish: 1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 6