Feb. 12, 2017
SAN DIEGO -- For the second day in row, the San Diego State men's tennis team had its fortunes hinge on the final singles match; however, the Aztecs suffered the opposite fate on Sunday, dropping a tough 4-3 decision to UC Davis in a non-conference dual at Aztec Tennis Center.
With the setback, SDSU was unable to complete a weekend sweep, slipping to 3-4 overall, while the Aggies even their record at 3-3 on the season.
"This was a heck of a college tennis match," said Aztec head coach Gene Carswell. "Our guys showed a lot of grit and determination to come back after falling behind 3-1. Unfortunately, we just ran out of time."
SDSU got off on the right foot in doubles competition after the tandem of senior Milen Ianakiev (Elz, Hesse, Germany) and junior Santiago Cevallos (Queretaro, Mexico) registered a 6-4 triumph over the UCD pairing of David Goulak and Tommy Lam in the No. 3. However, the Aggies responded with two victories to capture the point. The Aztec combo of freshmen Joel Popov (Tampere, Finland) and Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (Madrid, Spain) were victimized by an identical 6-4 count in the No. 3 position, while the duo of senior Marko Goles-Babic (Zagreb, Croatia) and sophomore Sander Gjoels-Andersen (Klampenborg, Denmark) found themselves in a marathon battle with Bryce McKelvie and James Wade before dropping a heartbreaker on the No. 1 court, 7-6(8).
Stung, SDSU knotted the score at 1-1 early in singles play after Ianakiev made quick work of McKelvie in the second position, 6-0, 6-1. However, the Aztecs were unable to sustain the momentum as Popov and Gonzalez Almazan came up short in their encounters in the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Popov was dealt a 6-4, 6-3 setback by Everett Maltby, while Gonzalez Almazan suffered a 6-4, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Pham.
Trailing 3-1, the Scarlet and Black clawed its way back into contention with a pair of victories in three sets to forge a 3-3 deadlock. First, Cevallos rallied from an early one-set deficit to dismiss Goulak, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, in the fourth position, while Goles-Babic followed with a win in similar fashion over Adamson, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3), at the top of the ladder.
It all came down to the No. 3 court where Gjoels-Andersen and Wade were locked in another heated battle. After dropping the first set, Gjoels-Andersen fought back to capture the second, but Wade ultimately prevailed in a nail-biter, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
San Diego State will have nearly two weeks off from competition before returning to action on Friday, Feb. 24, when it plays host to Saint Mary's at Aztec Tennis Center. First serve is set for 1:30 p.m. PT.
UC Davis 4, San Diego State 3
Aztec Tennis Center
San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 12, 2017
Doubles
1. Bryce McKelvie/James Wade (UCD) def. Marko Goles-Babic/Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU), 7-6(8)
2. Santiago Cevallos/Milen Ianakiev (SDSU) def. David Goulak/Tommy Lam (UCD), 6-4
3. Alec Adamson/Max Pham (UCD), Joel Popov/Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
UC Davis wins doubles point
Singles
1. Marko Goles-Babic (SDSU) def. Alec Adamson (UCD), 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3
2. Milen Ianakiev (SDSU) def. Bryce McKelvie (UCD), 6-0, 6-1
3. James Wade (UCD) def. Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU), 7-5, 4-6, 7-5
4. Santiago Cevallos (SDSU) def. David Goulak (UCD), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
5. Everett Maltby (UCD) def. Joel Popov (SDSU), 6-4, 6-3
6. Max Pham (UCD) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 5, 6, 4, 1, 3*
* - Match-clinching victory