Oct. 6, 2006
TULSA, Okla. - Aztec seniors Markus Dickhardt (Marburg, Germany) and Christian Groh (Crailsheim, Germany) are one of four teams left in the doubles main draw at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships. Dickhardt and Groh are the first Aztecs team to reach the semifinals at the All-American Tennis Championships. The team of Ryan Redondo and Felix Hardt advanced to the quarterfinals in 2003.
In their first match of the day, the Aztec twosome went up against North Carolina State's Nick Cavaday and William Noblitt and won, 8-3. In the quarterfinals the senior duo would face Tennessee's Bobby Cameron and Kaden Hensel.
Groh and Dickhardt, who are ranked at No. 21 in the preseason ITA doubles rankings, prevailed, 8-5, over Cameron and Hensel to reach the semifinals where they will play No. 9 Luis Flores and John Isner of Georgia. The semifinals match will take place Saturday, with the winner advancing to the finals on Sunday.
In consolation singles action, No. 67 Groh has moved on to the quarterfinals with a victory over No. 36 Alex Skrypko of SMU in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. Groh has now beaten two top-40 opponents in the consolation draw and will play No. 45 Nestor Briceno of Florida, who has won both his consolation round matches in straight sets, on Saturday.
In Albuquerque, N.M., three other members of the Aztec men's tennis team took to the court in the 2006 Balloon Fiesta Classic hosted by the University of New Mexico. Senior Anthony Gomez (Palm Desert, Calif.) won his opening round singles match, defeating Robby Alexander of Air Force, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, to advance to the second round later in the day.
Gomez would lose his second round match to Roman Stoisavljevic of New Mexico State, 6-1, 7-5. The senior will face James Tomlin of Air Force on Saturday in the second round of the singles consolation draw.
Newcomer Achim Ceban was also in action at the Balloon Fiesta Classic and he has advanced to the singles quarterfinals after a victory on Friday. After drawing a first-round bye, Ceban defeated New Mexico State's Ricardo Gorostiaga in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
In the singles "B" flight, redshirt freshman Michael Beron (San Diego, Calif.) has made his way into the semifinals with victories over Mike Gies of Air Force and Rav Dhatt of Denver. Beron defeated Gies, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in round one. In the quarterfinals, he took care of Dhatt in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
In four singles matches, the Aztecs went a combined 4-1 on day one in New Mexico.
SDSU also had one doubles team in action during the Balloon Fiesta Classic and they too have advanced. The tandem of Ceban and Gomez drew a first round bye and then defeated Kyle Epperson and Cody Gaby of Air Force, 8-2, to advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday. Ceban and Gomez will face another team from Air Force, Keith Cronican and James Tomlin, in the quarterfinals.