March 8, 2008
BOISE, Idaho - A weekend excursion to the Inland Northwest ended on a sour note for the San Diego State men's tennis team as the 52nd-ranked Aztecs dropped a 5-1 decision on Saturday to No. 40 Boise State at Appleton Tennis Center on the BSU campus. With the loss, SDSU slips to 5-5 on the season, while the Broncos improve to 9-8 overall after notching their seventh home win of the year in as many tries.
With rain in the area and the Aztecs facing a tight travel deadline, both sides agreed to start the afternoon with singles play in hopes that a winner would be determined without the need for doubles competition. Unfortunately for the Scarlet and Black, Boise State took full advantage of the format by capturing five of six encounters for the victory.
First off the court was freshman Tim Schulz van Endert, who suffered a 6-1, 6-1 defeat at the hands of Eric Roberson at the No. 6 position in just his third dual-match appearance this season. Over on the third court, fellow classmate Andre Feliz experienced a similar fate in a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Brent Werbeck, while sophomore Matan Shitrit kept things close against 59th-ranked Luke Shields before ultimately succumbing by a 7-5, 6-4 count at the top of the ladder.
Trailing 3-0, SDSU got a temporary reprieve when junior transfer Bartosz Golas knocked off his second ranked opponent of the year after upsetting No. 55 Clancy Shields, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 2. However, any hopes of an Aztec comeback were soon dashed as Steve Robertson rallied from an early deficit in the fourth position to overtake freshman Danny Heidecker in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, giving Boise State the clinching point. In the final match of the day, sophomore transfer Jordan Colman was unable to fend off a hard-charging Piotr Dilaj as his Bronco adversary emerged triumphant, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, in the No. 5 spot.
San Diego State returns to the courts on Thursday, March 13, when it welcomes Cal Poly to Aztec Tennis Center for a 1:30 p.m. PDT match.
No. 40 BOISE STATE 5, No. 52 SAN DIEGO STATE 1
Appleton Tennis Center
Boise, Idaho
Singles
1. #59 Luke Shields (BSU) def. Matan Shitrit (SDSU), 7-5, 6-4
2. Bartosz Golas (SDSU) def. #55 Clancy Shields (BSU), 6-4, 6-2
3. Brent Werbeck (BSU) def. Andre Feliz (SDSU), 6-1, 6-3
4. Steve Robertson (BSU) def. Danny Heidecker (SDSU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
5. Piotr Dilaj (BSU) def. Jordan Colman (SDSU), 4-6, 6-0, 7-5
6. Eric Roberson (BSU) def. Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
Not contested
Order of finish
Singles: 6, 3, 1, 2, 4*, 5
*match-clinching victory