Jan. 19, 2006
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU MEN'S TENNIS OPENS DUAL-MATCH PLAY SATURDAY
* The San Diego State men's tennis team opens its 2006 dual-match season on Saturday when it plays host to UC Riverside, set to begin at 11 a.m. at Aztec Tennis Center.
SDSU enters the spring with a No. 43 ranking according to the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings released Jan. 10 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
Individually, sophomore Robert Sabo received a No. 84 ranking in the ITA poll. The transfer from the College of the Desert posted a 4-4 record during the fall.
SERIES HISTORY VS. UC RIVERSIDE
* The Aztecs and Highlanders will square off for a second year in a row and the fourth time overall dating back to 2000. Last year, SDSU cruised to an easy 7-0 win as 2006 returnees Markus Dickhardt, Christian Groh and Benedikt Stronk helped the Aztecs sweep all six singles matches.
SDSU also dominated UCR in their other two meetings, winning 6-1 in 2001 and 7-0 in 2000.
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
* UC Riverside (1-0) opened its regular season on Sunday by edging the Air Force Academy, 4-3. After winning the doubles point, the Highlanders clinched the match with three singles victories at Nos. 4-6.
Junior Mark Contreras leads UCR with five victories overall this year, followed by sophomore Joe Cartledge with four.
In fall tournament play, the Aztecs' Anthony Gomez defeated the Highlanders' Christian Frick, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the consolation bracket at the Wilson/ITA West Regional Championships in Malibu, Calif.
AZTEC INVITATIONAL WRAP UP
* The San Diego State men's tennis team completed its preseason tournament schedule on Sunday, taking on No. 53 Arizona State in the Aztec Invitational. The Aztecs and Sun Devils faced one another on three consecutive days as the competition featured individual results and no team scoring.
"We designed the event so we could stay together as a team and evaluate ourselves heading into the regular season, " said SDSU head coach Gene Carswell.
Junior Markus Dickhardt registered a pair of straight-set victories over the weekend, defeating the Sun Devils' Jonathan Kinsella on Friday, 6-2, 6-2, while returning on Saturday to dispatch Ryan McBride, 6-4, 6-0.
Last weekend also marked the return of Benedikt Stronk to the Aztec lineup. On Friday, the senior from Berlin, Germany outlasted Ryan McBride, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3, in his first action of the year for the scarlet and black.
Following a loss to ASU's Christopher Biro on day two, Stronk rebounded on Sunday to defeat Wes Miller, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Junior Christian Groh and senior Stephan Timu each posted a singles victory during the event as well.
In doubles competition, Timu combined with Robert Sabo on Friday to crush the Devils' Ryan Waites and Mike Beatty, 8-1, while the duo of Stronk and Dickhardt fell to ASU's Kinsella and McBride in a tough match, 9-8 (5). The Aztec tandem, however, responded with a vengeance on Saturday, trouncing Beatty and T.J. Bellama, 8-2.
"I thought we accomplished a lot over the weekend," said coach Carswell. "We're making progress as a team and we know what we have to work on heading into the season."
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