TULSA, Okla. – San Diego State's Sander Gjoels-Andersen (Klampenborg, Denmark) won a pair of matches on Saturday to lead the Aztec men's tennis team during the first two rounds of the pre-qualifying bracket at the 2018 Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships.
Gjoels-Anderson emerged triumphant in his encounter in the round of 256 against UT Arlington's Mauricio del Rio, rallying from an early deficit to claim a three-set victory, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The Aztec senior soon followed with a straight-set conquest of Hofstra's Marcus Smith in the round of 128 by a 6-3, 6-4 count, setting up a battle with Jannik Giesse of Old Dominion in the round of 64, scheduled for Sunday morning at 9 a.m. CT/7 a.m. PT.
Sophomore Ignacio Martinez (Weston, Fla.) collected SDSU's other victory in Saturday's opening round, outlasting Marcello Moreira of Oral Roberts in a three-set tiebreaker, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(6), before his progress was stymied in the round of 128 by Arizona's Filip Malbasic, suffering a 6-2, 6-2 setback.
The remaining two Aztec players fell short in their opening-round matches. Junior Arnaud Restifo (Nice, France) was upended by Hofstra's Shawn Jackson by a 6-2, 6-3 tally, while sophomore Jan Kirchhoff (Berlin, Germany) experienced a similar fate in his clash with Lenhard Haupt of Western Michigan, dropping a 7-5, 6-3 decision.
The Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships continue on Sunday with round of 64 and round of 32 action in the pre-qualifying bracket, as well as consolation matches.
In Sunday's consolation draw for SDSU, Kirchhoff will face Georgia Tech's Brandon Freestone, starting at 8 a.m. CT/6 a.m. PT, while Restifo will lock horns with Simon Junk of Ole Miss at a time to be determined.
Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships
Tulsa, Okla.
SDSU Results Only
Pre-Qualifying Singles—Round of 256
Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU) def. Mauricio del Rio (UTA), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) def. Marcello Moreira (ORU), 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(6)
Lenhard Haupt (WMU) def. Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU), 7-5, 6-3
Shawn Jackson (Hofstra) def. Arnaud Restifo (SDSU), 6-2, 6-3
Pre-Qualifying Singles—Round of 128
Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU) def. Marcus Smith (Hofstra), 6-3, 6-4
Filip Malbasic (UA) def. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU), 6-2, 6-2
Gjoels-Andersen Wins Twice at ITA All-American Event
