Ex-Cal star Goransson grabs Istanbul doubles title

Andre Goransson claimed his sixth Challenger doubles title
and first with David Pel. File photo by Paul Bauman

   Second-seeded Andre Goransson (University of California, Berkeley, 2014-17) of Sweden and David Pel of the Netherlands edged unseeded Lloyd Glasspool of Great Britain and Harri Heliovaara of Finland 4-6, 6-3 [10-8] on an indoor hardcourt today to win the €132,280 ($160,632) Istanbul Challenger.

   Goransson and Pel, a 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) left-hander, split €7,780 ($9,469). Glasspool and Heliovaara shared €4,570 ($5,562).

   Goransson, 26, claimed his sixth Challenger doubles title and first with Pel, 29. Goransson owns one ATP doubles crown, in Pune (India) with Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia last February. 

   Goransson will rise nine places in the world doubles rankings to No. 82, two spots off his career high, on Monday. He and Pel are seeded first in next week's €88,520 ($107,741) Challenger in Quimper, France.

   Colleges — The Cal men lost to No. 18 UCLA 4-0 in a rain-delayed match at USC on ITA Kickoff Weekend.

   No. 10 Keegan Smith of the Bruins clinched the victory with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over No. 42 Yuta Kikuchi on Court 1.

   The Bears' Paul Barretto, a resident of Tiburon, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area who's ranked No. 63, led Ben Goldberg 7-5, 4-1 on Court 2 when the match was abandoned. 

   Cal (1-1) will play the loser of Sunday's postponed clash between No. 1 USC and UNLV in a consolation match on Monday at 9 a.m. PST.

   The No. 19 Cal women's match at No. 2 UCLA was postponed by rain. The contest was rescheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.