Feb. 2, 2017
SAN DIEGO – Following a two-week break from competition, the San Diego State men's tennis team returns to the court in earnest on Saturday when it renews acquaintances with the University of San Diego in a non-conference dual match at Aztec Tennis Center. First serve is set for 1 p.m. PT.
SDSU (1-2) will be looking to put the brakes on a two-match skid after dropping a 5-2 decision at home to then-No. 20 Mississippi State in its last outing on Jan. 22. The Aztecs picked up a pair of victories in singles play by senior Milen Ianakiev (Elz, Hesse, Germany) and freshman Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (Madrid, Spain), but it wasn't enough as the visiting Bulldogs seized momentum by capturing the doubles point followed by two early wins in singles play.
Sophomore Sander Gjoels-Andersen (Klampenborg, Denmark) leads SDSU so far this year with seven singles victories to his credit, while Ianakiev and freshman David Hough (Traralgon, Australia) have amassed six each.
On the other side of the court, the Toreros (2-1) are coming off a 6-1 setback at the hands of No. 8 Southern California on Jan. 29 as part of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Los Angeles. Earlier, USD opened the event with a 4-2 triumph over Virginia Tech the previous day.
The Toreros have been paced by senior Filip Vittek, who has compiled a 9-3 record in singles competition, while fellow classmate Josh Page and freshman Joel Gamerov have racked up seven wins apiece. Gamerov was USD's lone victor against USC last Sunday, outlasting the Trojans' Jake DeVine in a super-tiebreaker.
San Diego State owns a 17-14 advantage in head-to-head encounters against the Toreros dating back to 1989. One of the more memorable meetings in the series occurred in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles, where the 40th-ranked Aztecs posted a 4-3 upset of No. 21 USD. Despite ceding the doubles point, the Aztecs stormed back with four singles wins, including the clincher at No. 6, where then-freshman Santiago Cevallos (Queretaro, Mexico) prevailed in three sets over Ciaran Fitzgerald, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3).
Following Saturday's tilt, SDSU continues its lengthy homestand next week when it locks horns with Northern Arizona on Friday, Feb. 10, beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT.