April 24, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The fifth-seeded San Diego State men's tennis team nearly upset top-seeded TCU on Friday in Albuquerque, N.M. The Aztecs took the doubles point but came up short in singles action to fall to the Horned Frogs, 4-2, in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Championships.
In doubles action, SDSU took an early lead over the regular-season victors, TCU. Bartosz Golas and Tim Schulz van Endert upset 29th-ranked Emanuel Brighiu and Adrian Simon in dominating fashion at second doubles, 8-1. At No. 1 Achim Ceban and Juan Gomez could not get past Slah Mbarek and Kriegler Brink, ultimately falling, 8-6. The deciding match would be at No. 3 where Giovanni Vaglietti and Andre Feliz would down Christopher Price and Zach Nichols in third doubles, 8-6, and clinch the doubles point for SDSU.
In singles, No. 72 Brink picked up his second victory of the day by defeating No. 122 Golas at No. 3, 6-4, 6-2. In the sixth position, Feliz would reclaim the lead for the Aztecs, taking the score to 2-1 by topping Casey Powers, 6-2, 6-3. At the top position, No. 125 Ceban could not take down 84th-ranked Mbarek despite his best efforts, falling, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5. At No. 4, Nichols gave the Horned Frogs their first lead of the day by defeating Vaglietti, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
With the score at 3-2 in favor of TCU, Schulz van Endert would have to win to keep SDSU's hopes alive. Price, however, proved too much for Schulz van Endert, with the Aztec falling in fifth singles, 6-4, 6-3. With the overall match decided, play in the second position between Gomez and No. 114 Brighiu would be suspended at, 3-6, 6-3, 2-3.
San Diego State finishes its season at 15-12 overall and 2-3 in league play.
#1 TCU 4, #5 San Diego State 2
Mountain West Conference Championships
April 24 - Jerry Cline Tennis Center
Albuquerque, N.M.
Doubles
1. Mbarek/Brink (TCU) def. Ceban/Gomez (SDSU) 8-6
2. Golas/Schulz van Endert (SDSU) def. #29 Brighiu/Simon (TCU) 8-1
3. Vaglietti/Feliz (SDSU) def. Price/Nichols (TCU) 8-6
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. #84 Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. #125 Achim Ceban (SDSU) 3-6, 6-0, 7-5
2. #114 Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) vs. Juan Gomez (SDSU) 3-6, 6-3, 2-3, DNF
3. #72 Kriegler Brink (TCU) def. #122 Bartosz Golas (SDSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Giovanni Vaglietti (SDSU) 7-6 (4), 6-4
5. Christopher Price (TCU) def. Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Andre Feliz (SDSU) def. Casey Powers (TCU) 6-2, 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 6, 1, 4, 5, 2