April 29, 2005
SAN DIEGO - Top-seeded and 41st ranked San Diego State (16-5) won its 12th consecutive match in a semifinal nailbiter over No. 55 UNLV, 4-3, at the 2005 Mountain West Conference Tennis Championships held at Barnes Tennis Center Friday afternoon. With the win, the regular season champions earn a spot in Saturday's championship final against second-seeded Brigham Young.
The Aztecs got off on the right foot when they claimed the doubles point. The all-MWC doubles team of Dontia Haynes and Daniel Jung started things off with their 8-5 performance over Henner Nehles and Sean Hubbard at No. 2. Minutes later, Eugenio Romero and Markus Dickhardt won their fourth straight match as they defeated Aviram Salomon and Martin Redelinghuys, 8-5, at the third position.
Singles play was tight throughout the match as the last contest of the afternoon decided the final outcome.
Jung continued his outstanding play by winning his 10th consecutive match when he used a 6-2, 6-3, effort to down Jonathan Hooper at No. 6. The Aztecs later took a 3-0 match advantage when Chris Groh posted his ninth straight victory, a three-set win, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, over David Campbell at No. 4.
The Rebels did not go down easily, tallying three straight wins at Nos. 3, 1 and 5. Salomon started the UNLV comeback by beating Armando Carrascosa in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. UNLV's top singles player and MWC player of the year Henner Nehles followed Salomon's lead when he notched a 6-2, 7-5, victory over Benedikt Stronk at No. 1, to close within one of the Aztecs. Then Romain Massaro rebounded from his first set loss to Haynes to defeat the senior, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to tie the match at 3-3.
The deciding contest between Dickhardt and UNLV's Joel Kielbowicz at No. 2 went down to the wire as it took three sets to crown a winner. The first set went to Kielbowicz, 6-4, but the two-time all-MWC singles honoree came back to tie the match at one apiece with his 6-4 effort. In the final set, the SDSU sophomore experienced no trouble as he defeated Kielbowicz, 6-2, in the third set to secure the Aztecs a spot in the championship match.
SDSU will be making its fourth consecutive trip to the conference championship match and its fifth in six years. The Aztecs have only faced the Cougars once in the championship final, defeating them 4-1 in 2002. SDSU is 2-2 in MWC conference finals all-time, claiming titles in 2002 and 2003.
The Aztecs will be in action tomorrow when they face No. 57 Brigham Young for the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Match time is scheduled for a noon start at Barnes Tennis Center.
#41 San Diego State 4, #55 UNLV 3
Doubles
1. Kielbowicz/Campbell (UNLV) vs. Stronk/Carrascosa (SDSU), 6-5, DNF
2. Haynes/Jung (SDSU) def. Nehles/Hubbard (UNLV), 8-5
3. Romero/Dickhardt (SDSU) def. Salomon/Redelinghuys (UNLV), 8-5
San Diego State wins doubles point
Singles
1. #95 Henner Nehles (UNLV) def. #81 Benedikt Stronk (SDSU), 6-2, 7-5
2. #125 Markus Dickhardt (SDSU) def. #98 Joel Kielbowicz (UNLV), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Aviram Salomon (UNLV) def. #119 Armando Carrascosa (SDSU), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
4. Chris Groh (SDSU) def. David Campbell (UNLV), 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
5. Romain Massaro (UNLV) def. Dontia Haynes (SDSU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Daniel Jung (SDSU) def. Jonathan Hooper (UNLV), 6-2, 6-3