April 15, 2007
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State closed out its regular-season schedule with a convincing 6-1 win over No. 75 San Diego at Aztec Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon. The 48th-ranked Aztecs won the doubles point and took five of six singles matches to improve to 16-7, while the Toreros' fourth consecutive loss drops them to 9-11.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd, SDSU managed to take the doubles point away from USD with its victory at No. 1. The Aztecs got off to a fine start after Anthony Gomez and Juan Gomez recorded an 8-5 win over their cross-town counterparts at No. 3, only to have the Toreros respond with a 9-8(4) victory of their own at No. 2.
With all eyes on first doubles, 14th-ranked Markus Dickhardt and Christian Groh dug themselves a 7-4 hole against USD's Thomas Liversage/Chris Coetzee in the early going, but were able to turn things around quickly. The Aztec duo roared back by winning five straight points to earn their ninth victory and gave SDSU an early 1-0 lead.
In singles, San Diego posted its first team point after Charl Wolmarans downed Achim Ceban in straight sets at No. 5, but from that point forward it was all San Diego State as it went on to notch five consecutive wins.
Robert Sabo led the Aztec charge with his 6-3, 6-3 victory over Matt Ozurovich at No. 6 and was later followed by 30th-ranked Dickhardt's 6-3, 6-2 performance over No. 49 Liversage in his final home match as an Aztec at the top of the singles lineup. The match-clinching decision came moments later as Juan Gomez registered a 7-6(5), 6-3 triumph over Ryo Sekiguchi at fifth singles to give SDSU its 16th victory of 2007.
Providing the contest with its final score were Anthony Gomez and Groh, who both emerged victorious in their last home match at San Diego State. Gomez was a 4-6, 5-4 ret., winner over Jonas Mouly at third singles, while Groh won a hard-fought battle against Coetzee, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 2.
The Aztecs will have the next week and a half off before traveling to the Air Force Academy for the Mountain West Conference Championships beginning on April 26.
#48 San Diego State 6, #75 San Diego 1
Aztec Tennis Center (San Diego, Calif.)
Doubles
1. #14 Markus Dickhardt/Christian Groh (SDSU) def. Thomas Liversage/Chris Coetzee (USD), 9-7
2. Matt Ozurovich/Ryo Sekiguchi (USD) def. Achim Ceban/Billy Timu (SDSU), 9-8(4)
3. Juan Gomez/Anthony Gomez (SDSU) def. Charl Wolmarans/Levon Brown (USD), 8-5
San Diego State wins doubles point
Singles
1. #30 Markus Dickhardt (SDSU) def. #49 Thomas Liversage (USD), 6-3, 6-2
2. Christian Groh (SDSU) def. Chris Coetzee (USD), 6-3, 6-4
3. Anthony Gomez (SDSU) def. Jonas Mouly (USD), 4-6, 5-4 ret.
4. Charl Wolmarans (USD) def. Achim Ceban (SDSU), 6-3, 6-0
5. Juan Gomez (SDSU) def. Ryo Sekiguchi (USD), 7-6(5), 6-3
6. Robert Sabo (SDSU) def. Matt Ozurovich (USD), 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: 4, 6, 1, 5*, 3, 2
* Match-clinching victory