March 4, 2007
LA JOLLA, Calif. - San Diego State's Achim Ceban and former Aztec Benedikt Stronk won the 118th Pacific Coast Doubles Championships Sunday afternoon at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. The duo joins a long list of champions that include Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe and former SDSU greats Ryan Redondo and Oliver Maiberger.
The two opened final-day action by defeating UCLA's Haythem Abid and Mathieu Dehaine in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, securing them a spot in the championship final. On the other side of the bracket, Stanford's David Hodge and Blake Muller advanced to the title match after beating the team of Redondo-Peter Smith in a grueling three-set thriller, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7).
In the finals, following a 7-6(6) defeat in the first set, Ceban-Stronk went to work and placed a 7-6(6) victory on Hodge-Muller in the second and cruised in the third, 6-2, to win the tournament.
"The Pacific Coast Doubles Championship is one of the longest running tournaments in the country and to have Achim and Benedikt win it is special," SDSU head coach Gene Carswell said. "The list of past winners is impressive and to have a San Diego State team join them is a special thing. I am very proud of their effort this weekend."
The Aztecs return to their dual-match season when they travel north to take on UC Santa Barbara on March 10.