May 25, 2006
STANFORD, Calif. - San Diego State's 13th-ranked doubles team of senior Benedikt Stronk (Berlin, Germany) and junior Markus Dickhardt (Marburg, Germany) got off to a good start at the NCAA Doubles Championships on Thursday, recording a first-round triumph over No. 43 Alex Seleznev and Harel Srugo of Old Dominion University, 7-6(3), 6-3, at Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif. With the victory, Stronk and Dickhardt improve their record to 15-4 on the year and remain undefeated in six matches against ranked opponents this season.
The Aztecs' duo will face North Carolina's fifth-ranked tandem of Raian Luchici and Brad Pomeroy in the round of 16 on Friday, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Luchici and Pomeroy raised their overall record to 26-10 after knocking off Adam Hubble and Ben Rogers of Tennessee, 6-4, 6-3, in their opening-round clash.
Stronk and Dickhardt will be renewing acquaintances with their second-round adversaries on Friday. SDSU faced the Tar Heels in a dual match earlier this season, dropping a 6-1 decision at Aztec Tennis Center on March 15. In that contest, Stronk and Billy Timu suffered a heartbreaking 8-7(7) defeat at the hands of Luchici and Pomeroy in doubles competition. Stronk was able to exact a measure of revenge in singles play, however, disposing of Pomeroy, 6-4, 7-5, at the No. 2 position. Dickhardt, meanwhile, engaged Luchici in a tough battle at the No. 1 spot, but ultimately succumbed, 6-4, 7-6(5).