April 13, 2018
RENO, Nev. -- San Diego State won its second straight dual match Friday afternoon with a dramatic 4-3 triumph over Nevada in a Mountain West clash at McArthur Tennis Center.
After dropping a hotly contested doubles point, the Aztecs (5-18, 3-3 MW) stormed back with four victories in singles competition to hand the Wolf Pack (13-6, 3-3 MW) their first loss at home this season in three outings.
Sophomore Arnaud Restifo supplied the clinching point with a three-set victory at No. 1 singles to help SDSU overcome deficits of 2-0 and 3-2.
The prospects for an Aztec win seemed faint early on, however, as Nevada claimed the first two doubles decisions. First off the court was the SDSU pairing of Raul de la Torre and Jan Kirchhoff, who fell short to Jeremy Merville and Robert Margitfalvi by a 6-4 count in the No. 2 position, while the duo of Sander Gjoels-Andersen and Rafael Gonzalez Almazan suffered a narrow 7-5 setback to Julien Evrard and Kostya Nesterenko in the No. 1 slot.
With the doubles outcome no longer in question, the Aztecs' David Hough and Arnaud Restifo had their match against Peter O'Donovan and Augustin Delahodde on the No. 3 court after grabbing a 5-4 advantage.
At the outset of singles play, SDSU found itself mired a deeper 2-0 hole when Ignacio Martinez was upended by Evrard at the top of the ladder, 6-1, 6-2.
Unfazed, the Aztecs fought back with two quick victories to tie the match at 2-2, as Gjoels-Andersen dispatched Margitfalvi in the third spot, 6-3, 6-2, while Kirchhoff duplicated the feat with a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Merville in the fourth position.
The Wolf Pack briefly regained the upper hand when Delahodde outlasted Gonzalez Almazan in three sets at No. 5, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, before de la Torre extended his personal winning streak to five straight with a hard-fought victory over O'Donovan at No. 6, 7-6(3), 7-5.
All eyes promptly turned to the No. 2 court, where Restifo was locked in a fierce battle with Nesterenko. After capturing the first set 6-4, the SDSU sophomore grabbed a 4-2 lead in the second, only to see his Nevada adversary rally to even the match in a tiebreaker 7-6(3). Restifo flashed his resiliency, however, ultimately prevailing in the third set by a 6-4 tally.
QUOTABLE
"I was very proud our guys today; they showed a lot of grit and determination," said Aztec head coach Gene Carswell. "This victory was a great team effort. We are gaining momentum at the right time, as we enter the final stretch of the season."
UP NEXT
San Diego State closes out its regular-season schedule on Sunday, April 15, when it takes on Fresno State another conference road tilt, starting at noon PT. Later in the month, the Aztecs will play host to the Mountain West Championship, set for April 26-28.
San Diego State 4, Nevada 3
April 13, 2018
San Diego, Calif.
Aztec Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Julien Evrard/Kostya Nesterenko (NEV) def. Sander Gjoels-Andersen/Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 7-5
2. Jeremy Merville/Robert Margitfalvi (NEV) def. Raul de la Torre/Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU), 6-4
3. David Hough/Arnaud Restifo (SDSU) vs. Augustin Delahodde/Peter O'Donovan (NEV), 5-4 DNF
Order of finish: 2, 1
Nevada wins doubles point
Singles
1. Julien Evrard (NEV) def. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU), 6-1, 6-2
2. Arnaud Restifo (SDSU) def. Kostya Nesterenko (NEV), 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4
3. Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU) def. Robert Margitfalvi (NEV), 6-3, 6-2
4. Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU) def. Jeremy Merville (NEV), 6-1, 6-3
5. Augustin Delahodde (NEV) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
6. Raul de la Torre (SDSU) def. Peter O'Donovan (NEV), 7-6(3), 7-5
Order of finish:1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 2*
* Match-clinching victory