Feb. 20, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
San Diego State Men's Tennis Weekly Release in PDF Format
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Aztecs Look To Get Back On Track With Pair Of Matches In Seattle
San Diego State, ranked 49th in the FILA  Collegiate Tennis Rankings, looks to snap a three-match losing streak this weekend as it travels to Seattle, Wash., for a neutral-site contest vs. t-75th-ranked Oregon (6-3) and a road tilt at No. 15 Washington (7-1). SDSU's battle with the Ducks is set for 1:30 p.m. PST on Saturday, Feb. 24, while its match with the Huskies is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 25, at noon PST. Both will take place at Washington's Nordstrom Tennis Center.
The Aztecs (2-3) have hit the skids lately having lost three straight, but the competition certainly has not been soft. San Diego State was shutout by then-No. 43 Southern California, which finds itself at No. 13, dropped a tight 4-3 decision to 17th-ranked Boise State and fell to No. 10 Pepperdine, 5-2. Saturday's match vs. Oregon will the Aztecs' first in two weeks.
Following its road trip to the Pacific Northwest, SDSU will return home to play host to UC Irvine on March 1 at Aztec Tennis Center. Match time is set for 2 p.m. PST.
San Diego State-Oregon: The Series
There is not much history between San Diego State and Oregon as they have only faced once since the 1996 season and that was in 1999. In the third match of the season, SDSU improved to 3-0 after defeating Oregon, 4-3. The win was one of six straight to begin a campaign that saw the Aztecs finish with a 15-6 record and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
San Diego State-Washington: The Series
The Huskies own a 4-1 advantage over the Aztecs since 1996 and have won three straight in the series. The last time these two schools met was in 2005 at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. The contest was a hard-fought battle as UW took the doubles point and the first singles match to open the day with a 2-0 lead. SDSU, however, fought back and won three consecutive matches to take the lead only to have the Huskies tie it up. With all eyes on court No. 2, Aztec senior Armando Carrascosa took the first set, dropped the second and caught a few bad breaks in the third, giving Washington the decision. The lone San Diego State victory in the series came in the first round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The Aztecs upended the Huskies, 4-3, in Malibu, Calif., to advance to the second round before falling to VCU in the round of 16.
Dickhardt Tough at No. 2
If there has been one bright spot for San Diego State it has been the play of senior Markus Dickhardt. He is 3-2 on the season, but is 3-1 at No. 2 singles. To open the year, Dickhardt experienced no trouble in registering straight-sets victories over his UC Riverside and Concordia (Calif.) opponents en route to earning Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honors. After splitting time at Nos. 1 and 2 while Christian Groh was out, Dickhardt returned to his old form and dispatched Richard Johnson of 10th-ranked Pepperdine, 7-5, 5-6, 10-6.
Injury Bug Bites Aztecs
No one likes to make excuses, but the injury bug has taken a bite out of the Aztecs. Injuries have hampered Christian Groh all season long and now Achim Ceban has fallen victim. Groh, the No.28 singles player nationally and one-half of the No. 9 ranked doubles tandem, has battled tendinitis in both of his knees which has caused him to miss significant action and forced head coach Gene Carswell to shuffle the lineup. Ceban, a freshman, was the latest Aztec to go down as he suffered an ankle injury during the Pepperdine match which led to his retirement at No. 5.
Doubles Struggles
During San Diego State's three-match losing streak, the Aztecs have had a hard time winning the doubles point. In fact, SDSU has lost all nine doubles matches during its 0-3 run compared to winning five of six in its first two contests, which were coincidentally Aztec victories.
Looking for One in Unfamiliar Territory
SDSU will be looking for its first two wins of the season away from San Diego this weekend. So far the Aztecs are 0-2 in away/neutral matches in 2007 after going an impressive 16-9 the last two seasons combined. If last year is any indication, SDSU earned its first win away from home in its third away/neutral match of the season. Oregon finds itself as away/neutral opponent No. 3 this year.
Tough Stretch
The Aztecs find themselves in the middle of a tough stretch that extends through the middle of March. SDSU opened the stretch by facing a USC team that was ranked 43rd at the time and is now ranked No. 13. Next up was a date with No. 4 UCLA, but rain forced the rescheduling of the match. On Feb. 4, the Aztecs faced No. 17 Boise State and followed it with No. 10 Pepperdine. Now SDSU will go up against Oregon and No. 15 Washington this weekend before taking on UC Irvine, No. 64 Arizona, UC Santa Barbara and No. 21 North Carolina all in succession.