May 12, 2002
SAN DIEGO - The fourth-seeded and second-ranked UCLA men's tennis team won four singles matches en route to a 4-1 victory over 29th-ranked San Diego State in second round regional action at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Sunday.
The Bruins, which will continue their quest for a 16th national championship in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, improve to 21-4. The Aztecs end their season with an 18-9 mark.
"I honestly felt like we were going to win the match," SDSU head coach John Nelson said. "We lost two sets in tiebreakers and we were winning another match in the third set when play was stopped. We are getting better and to play the second-ranked team in the country this close shows the progress our program has made."
San Diego State captured the doubles point in impressive style. After the 52nd-ranked duo of Valentino Pest and Felix Hardt posted an 8-1 victory at number two, the third-ranked pair of Oliver Maiberger and Ryan Redondo upset the nation's top-ranked doubles team of Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcin Matkowski, 8-6. It was the second time Redondo and Maiberger have defeated the top-ranked duo this season.
Oliver and Ryan are unbelievable," Nelson said. "To win a national championship last fall and beat the number one doubles team twice in the same season is remarkable. They do not rest on their accomplishments. They are relentless."
Maiberger and Redondo, which will participate in the NCAA doubles championship later this month, finished the dual campaign with a 14-6 record and are 26-8 overall this season.
The Bruins won four straight-set singles matches to advance to the round of 16. UCLA tied the score when Lassi Ketola defeated Gabe Coren, 6-3, 6-3, on the number six court. Minutes later, 86th-ranked Rojer completed a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Travis Hasson at number four singles. UCLA took a 3-1 advantage when 22nd-ranked Marcin Matkowski posted a 6-4, 6-3 win over Felix Hardt.
With the Aztecs Ryan Redondo up a break in the third set at number five and Valentino Pest in a three-set battle at number two, UCLA clinched the match at number one. After winning the first set easily, 10th-ranked Toblas Clemens needed a second set tiebreaker to defeat 26th-ranked Oliver Maiberger, 6-2, 7-6.
Maiberger, who earned All-American honors last season, will compete in the NCAA singles championship later in the month.
NCAA Second Round in Los Angeles: No. 2 UCLA 4, No. 29 San Diego State 1
Doubles (SDSU wins point)No. 1 - No. 3 Oliver Maiberger/Ryan Redondo (SDSU) def. No. 1 Jean-Julien Rojer/Marcin Matkowski (UCLA) - 8-6No. 2 - No. 52 Felix Hardt/Valentino Pest (SDSU) def. Alberto Francis/Rodrigo Grilli (UCLA) - 8-1No. 3 - Travis Hasson/Gabe Coren (SDSU) vs. Lassi Ketola/Erfan Djahangiri (UCLA) - Did Not FinishOrder of Finish: 2,1
SinglesNo. 1 - No. 10 Tobias Clemens (UCLA) def. No. 17 Oliver Maiberger (SDSU) - 6-2, 7-6No. 2 - Valentino Pest (SDSU) vs. No. 32 Rodrigo Grilli (UCLA) - Did Not FinishNo. 3 - No. 22 Marcin Matkowski def. Felix Hardt (SDSU) - 6-4, 6-3No. 4 - No. 86 Jean-Julien Rojer def. Travis Hasson (SDSU) - 6-3, 7-6No. 5 - Ryan Redondo (SDSU) vs. Erfan Djahangiri (UCLA) - Did Not FinishNo. 6 - Lassi Ketola (UCLA) def. Gabe Coren (SDSU) - 6-3, 6-3Order of Finish: 6, 4, 3, 1Clinched Match: 1
Records: San Diego State (18-9), UCLA (21-4).