March 15, 2002
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The 40th-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team rolled into the semifinals at the Blue Gray Collegiate Classic Friday, cruising past 31st-ranked South Alabama, 4-0.
The win was the fourth in a row for San Diego State (7-5), which will meet 8th-ranked Illinois Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST.
"This was another solid win for us," said SDSU head coach John Nelson. "South Alabama is a tough team with a lot of experienced players. We are really starting to roll right now but we face another stiff challenge in Illinois tomorrow."
San Diego State jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, taking the doubles point behind wins in the No. 1 and 2 positions. Felix Hardt and Valentino Pest got things rolling for the Aztecs on court No. 2 with an 8-1 victory over South Alabama's Christian Thall and Clinton Jacobs. Oliver Maiberger and Ryan Redondo sewed up the point for SDSU with an 8-4 win in the top spot over the Jaguar duo of Zlatko Stupavsky and Jullien Gillet.
The Aztecs completed the shutout of South Alabama (9-7) with wins at the No. 2, 3 and 6 singles slots. Hardt was the first to finish, picking up his second point of the day for SDSU with a 6-1, 6-3 straight set victory over Heinrich Heyl. His doubles partner, Pest, then dispatched Thall on court three 6-5, 6-2 to give the Aztecs a commanding 3-0 lead. Gabe Coren clinched the match for San Diego State, rebounding from a 6-0 opening-set loss to Jacobs on six by closing out the match 6-1, 6-2 to send the Aztecs onto the semis.
Men's College Tennis
Blue/Gray Collegiate Classic
Lagoon Park
Montgomery, Ala.
March 15, 2002
Team Scoring
No. 40 San Diego State 4 No. 31 South Alabama 0
Doubles (SDSU wins doubles point, 2-1)
1. Maiberger/Redondo (SDSU) def. Stupavsky/Gellet (USA) 8-1
2. Hardt/Pest (SDSU) def. Thall/Jacobs (USA) 8-1
3. Baudat/Heyl def. Hasson/Coren (SDSU) 8-6
Singles
1. Oliver Maiberger (SDSU) vs. Vincent Baudat (USA) 7-5, 4-1, DNF
2. Felix Hardt (SDSU) def. Heinrich Heyl (USA) 6-1, 6-3
3. Valentino Pest (SDSU) def. Christian Thall (USA) 6-5, 6-2
4. Ryan Redondo (SDSU) vs. Jullien Gillet (USA) 4-6, 3-4, DNF
5. Travis Hasson (SDSU) vs. Zlatko Stupavsky (USA) 6-4, 4-5, DNF
6. Gabe Coren (SDSU) def. Clinton Jacobs (USA) 0-6, 6-1, 6-2*
*Match-clinching win.