March 15, 2018
SOLANA BEACH, Calif. – Playing its first dual match in two weeks, the San Diego State men's tennis team opened the eighth annual San Diego Spring Classic with a 5-1 setback to No. 25 Harvard on Thursday afternoon at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club.
The loss drops the Aztecs to 2-10 on the year, while the Crimson captured their fourth straight, improving to 13-2 overall.
SDSU broke out of the gates quickly as the doubles team of Sander Gjoels-Andersen and Nicholas Mitchell posted a 6-2 upset over the 40th-ranked tandem of Kenny Tao and Logan Weber in the No. 1 position. However, Harvard claimed the next two decisions to escape with the point.
First, the Crimson duo of Grant Solomon and Christopher Murrow registered a 6-2 triumph over Santiago Cevallos and Rafael Gonzalez Almazan at No. 2, while the pairing of Jean Thirouin and Andy Zhou outlasted the newly minted Aztec combo of Raul de la Torre and Jan Kirchhoff, 7-5.
Stung, the Scarlet and Black claimed the first singles encounter of the day when Ignacio Martinez came through with a 6-2, 6-2 conquest of Andrew Ball on court No. 6. However, SDSU's momentum was short-lived, as Harvard responded with four consective victories in straight sets to cement the win. Zhou ultimately supplied the clincher with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Arnaud Restifo at No. 2.
San Diego State will face Arizona in its second dual of the San Diego Spring Classic on Friday at Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club. Match time is set for 10 a.m. PT. The Wildcats fell to No. 37 Texas Tech by a 4-2 count in their tournament opener on Thursday.
No. 25 Harvard 5, San Diego State 1
March 15, 2018
Solana Beach, Calif.
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club
Doubles
1. Sander Gjoels-Andersen/Nicholas Mitchell (SDSU) def. #40 Kenny Tao/Logan Weber (H), 6-2
2. Grant Solomon/Christopher Murrow (H) def. Santiago Cevallos/Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 6-2
3. Jean Thirouin /Andy Zhou (H) def. Raul de la Torre/Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU), 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Harvard wins doubles point
Singles
1. Kenny Tao (H) def. Santiago Cevallos (SDSU), 6-4, 6-3
2. Andy Zhou (H) def. Arnaud Restifo (SDSU), 6-4, 6-2
3. Jean Thirouin (H) def. Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU), 6-1, 7-5
4. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU) vs. Grant Solomon (H), 4-6, 3-4 DNF
5. Robert Wrzesinski (H) def. Joel Popov (SDSU), 6-4, 6-2
6. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) def. Andrew Ball (H), 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 3, 1, 2*, 5
* Match-clinching victory