Nov. 2, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Fourth-seeded San Diego State seniors Markus Dickhardt (Marburg, Germany) and Christian Groh (Crailsheim, Germany) won their opening round main draw doubles match at the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday. The Aztec twosome defeated No. 36 Ryan Keckley and Sheeva Parbhu of Notre Dame, 8-6, to advance to tomorrow's quarterfinals. The ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships is the second of three national championships for collegiate tennis.
"It was close until the end of the set," said assistant coach Brandon Fallon. "We served well as a team and found a way to turn it up at the end. We found a way to go to that next level."
Dickhardt and Groh, who are ranked at No. 21 in the preseason ITA doubles rankings, are the first Aztec team to reach the Indoor Championships since 2002 when Oliver Maiberger and Ryan Redondo advanced to the quarterfinals.
In doubles action this fall, the Aztec seniors have compiled a 3-1 record with all three of the victories coming when then duo advanced to the semifinals at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships in early October.
Dickhardt and Groh return to action tomorrow with their quarterfinals match versus LSU's James Cluskey and Ken Skupski at the Racquet Club of Columbus.
ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships
November 2, 2006
The Racquet Club of Columbus - Columbus, Ohio
Main Draw Doubles - First Round
Dickhardt/Groh (SDSU) def. Keckley/Parbhu (Notre Dame), 8-6.