Feb. 5, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Men's Tennis Weekly Release in PDF Format
SDSU MEN'S TENNIS RETURNS TO THE COURTS WITH ROAD TILT AT ARIZONA STATE
* The San Diego State men's tennis team hits the road for its lone dual match of the week on Wednesday, Feb. 6, when it travels to Tempe, Ariz., to face No. 44 Arizona State. First serve is set for 1:30 p.m. MST at Whiteman Tennis Center on the ASU campus.
The 49th-ranked Aztecs (1-1) will be back in action for the first time in eight days after suffering a 6-1 defeat at the hands of No. 6 USC in Los Angeles on Jan. 29. SDSU was scheduled to face Fresno State in its 2008 home opener on Feb. 3; however, persistent rains in the area forced the postponement of the match.
The Sun Devils have yet to play a dual match in 2008, having experienced weather-related issues of their own. On Jan. 27, ASU's season-opening doubleheader against Gonzaga and Northern Arizona was also washed out due to rains in the Tempe area.
SERIES HISTORY
* Although individuals from both schools frequently meet on an annual basis during the fall tournament schedule, San Diego State and Arizona State have locked horns just twice in a dual match since the 1989 season. That year, the Sun Devils came out on top by a 5-1 count, while the Aztecs posted a 5-2 triumph 14 years later in 2003.
Since that victory, SDSU had dropped 11 straight matches against Pac-10 opponents until last season, when the Scarlet and Black engineered a 4-3 upset of California in a neutral-site thriller at the University of Hawai'i.
SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS
* Leading the Arizona State charge is senior Juan Carlos Rebaza, who compiled a 27-12 singles record in 2006-07 en route to earning first-team all-Pac-10 honors. Rebaza has six victories this season, including a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Aztec freshman Andre Feliz during the round of 64 at the ITA West Regional on Oct. 18.
The Sun Devils also boast the 2007 Pac-10 freshman of the year in Matt Brooklyn. Brooklyn, who posted a 27-11 overall mark last season, has seven wins to credit so far this year, joining juniors T.J. Bellama and Wes Miller for the team high.
LOOKING AHEAD
* SDSU will return to the Grand Canyon State for a pair of matches next week when it travels to Tucson, Ariz., to face Big Ten foe Minnesota and Arizona of the Pac-10. The Aztecs will square off against the Golden Gophers in a neutral-site clash on Feb. 16, before tangling with the Wildcats two days later on Feb. 18. Both contests are slated for a 1:30 p.m. MT start at Robson Tennis Center on the UA campus.
CARSWELL IN CHARGE
* Gene Carswell is in his 10th season at San Diego State and fifth as head coach of the Scarlet and Black. In four-plus seasons at the helm, the Aztecs' mentor has guided SDSU to three straight Mountain West Conference regular-season titles, while compiling an overall record of 60-32 (.732) in the process. For the past three years, the La Jolla, Calif., resident has taken home MWC coach of the year accolades, leading San Diego State to a 17-0 league mark during that stretch. Prior to his present duties, Carswell was an Aztec assistant for five years from 1998-2003, earning a pair of ITA regional assistant coach of the year honors in 2001 and 2003.
REDONDO RETURNS
* Head coach Gene Carswell welcomed back one of the program's best last September when he announced the hiring of former Aztec star Ryan Redondo as the team's new assistant coach.
A native of Carlsbad, Calif., Redondo returns to Montezuma Mesa after competing on the USTA, ITF and ATP professional tours. He also spent time during the past year coaching privately in nearby Rancho Sante Fe, Calif., while completing his degree in religion at San Diego State.
One of the most prolific players in Aztec history, Redondo garnered All-America accolades in 2002 and 2003 and still holds the school record with 59 career doubles victories, along with partner Oliver Maiberger.
After spending one year at Pepperdine, Redondo transferred to SDSU in time for the 2001-02 campaign and made an immediate impact as he and Maiberger combined to win the National Collegiate Indoor Championship, the program's lone national championship. Later that season, the Aztec duo also reached the quarterfinal round at the NCAA Doubles Championship.
The following year in 2002-03, Redondo and Maiberger posted a remarkable 31-8 record, including 21 wins against ranked opponents. The tandem finished the season ranked No. 2 in the country after winning four matches in four days to reach the NCAA doubles finals where they lost to the Illinois pairing of Brian Wilson and Rajeev Ram.
GOLAS GOLDEN
* Bartosz Golas was the named Mountain West Conference men's tennis player of the week for the period ending Jan. 22. The Aztec junior garnered the conference's initial weekly award of the 2008 season and also the first of his career.
A native of Munich, Germany, Golas went a combined 6-1 in both singles and doubles, Jan. 19-21, in his first action for SDSU after redshirting in 2007. At the National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Indian Wells, Calif., Golas joined forces with fellow teammate Achim Ceban to capture the main draw doubles championship, defeating three sets of opponents, including tandems from 32nd-ranked Rice and No. 9 UCLA. Golas also posted a victory in singles play, upending Peter Zimmer of Arizona in the opening round, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, before falling to UCLA's Jeremy Drean in another three-set battle, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, during the quarterfinals.
Following the tournament's completion, SDSU opened its dual-match season against UC Riverside as Golas helped the Aztecs to their third-straight opening-day victory with a 7-0 shutout of the Highlanders. Golas was the first one off the court in both his matches at the No. 1 position, pairing again with Ceban to defeat Joe Cartledge and John Park, 8-4, in doubles action before dispatching Cartledge in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, in singles play.