Jan. 27, 2006
LOS ANGELES - The 43rd-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team dropped a tough 4-3 decision on the road Friday afternoon to No. 20 USC at Marks Stadium. With the loss, the Aztecs fell to 1-1 on the young season, while the Trojans improved their record to 4-1 on the year.
The dual was closely contested from the start, with SDSU gaining a split in the first two doubles matches. USC grabbed an early lead after the Trojans' combo of Adam Loucks and Garrett Snyder upended the Aztec duo of Stephan Timu and Robert Sabo, 8-5, at the No. 2 position. SDSU then knotted things up after the tandem of Benedikt Stronk and Markus Dickhardt recovered from early deficit to defeat Dejan Cvetkovic and Jamil Al-Agba, 9-7, at the No.1 position. However, the Aztecs could not clinch the decisive point at the No. 3 position as USC's Whit Livingston and Kaes Van't Hof staged their own comeback against Christian Groh and Billy Timu to win, 9-8 (3).
Singles action was also a seesaw affair as SDSU grabbed two out of the first three matches. At the No. 3 position, Groh dispatched Loucks in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, while Stronk stormed back from an opening-set loss to subdue Cvetkovic at the No. 1 spot, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.
With the score tied at 2-2, the Trojans put the match away after dealing the Aztecs a pair of narrow three-set defeats at Nos. 4 and 6. After taking the first set, Billy Timu fell to Chong Wang, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, while older brother Stephan Timu was thwarted in his comeback bid against Livingston, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
SDSU will return to the courts Sunday, Feb. 5 with a morning-afternoon doubleheader at Aztec Tennis Center. The Aztecs will face Cal Poly beginning at 9:30 a.m. before squaring off against UC San Diego at 2:30 p.m.
No. 20 USC 4, No. 43 SAN DIEGO STATE 3
Doubles:
(1) Stronk/Dickhardt (SDSU) def. Al-Agba/Cvetkovic (USC), 9-7.
(2) Loucks/Snyder (USC) def. S. Timu/Sabo (SDSU) 8-5.
(3) Livingston/Van't Hof (USC) def. Groh/B. Timu (SDSU), 9-8 (3).
USC wins doubles point
Singles:
(1) Benedikt Stronk (SDSU) def. Dejan Cvetkovic (USC) 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.
(2) Markus Dickhardt (SDSU) vs. Kaes Van't Hof (USC), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
(3) Christian Groh (SDSU) def. Adam Loucks (USC), 6-4, 6-4.
(4) Chong Wang (USC) def. Billy Timu (SDSU), 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.
(5) Garrett Snyder (USC) def. No. 84 Robert Sabo (SDSU) 7-5, 6-3.
(6) Whit Livingston (USC) def. Stephan Timu (SDSU), 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
Order of finish: 3, 5, 1, 4, 6*, 2.
*match-securing victory