SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opened its weekend homestand with a disappointing 4-3 loss to Fresno State in a Mountain West dual match Friday at Aztec Tennis Center.
SDSU nearly overcame a sluggish performance doubles but could not nail down the clinching point after posting three wins in singles competition.
With the loss, the Aztecs slip to 9-8 on the year and 1-2 in conference play, while the Bulldogs move to 12-9 overall and 2-1 in the MW.
Fresno State grabbed a 1-0 lead before the teams traded victories in singles action, capped by Ignacio Martinez's three-set triumph over Jeremy Moser in the No. 4 position, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. The SDSU sophomore overturned a 2-0 deficit in the third set to tie the team score at 3-3.
With twilight approaching, all eyes promptly turned to the No. 6 court, where Rafael Gonzalez Almazan seemed poised to close out Cagatay Soke after building a 5-2 lead in the third set, which would have sealed the match for the Scarlet and Black. However, his Bulldog adversary rallied to force a tiebreaker, as Soke ultimately prevailed, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(3).
Earlier, Arnaud Restifo was the first player to finish after making quick work of Cem Erturk in the fifth slot, 6-4, 6-1, while Jan Kirchhoff outlasted Mantas Bugailiskis in the No. 3 spot, 7-6(4), 6-4.
At the top of the ladder, Sander Gjoels-Andersen ran out of steam in his encounter with nationally ranked Zdenek Derkas (No. 114), dropping a 7-5, 6-0 decision, which snapped a personal six-match winning streak, while Fabian Roensdorf fell victim to Angus Bradshaw in the No. 2 position, 6-0, 5-7, 7-5.
The day started ominously for the Aztecs, who were unable to generate momentum in doubles, where they suffered two setbacks in the completed matches. Gonzalez Almazan and Restifo were toppled by Bradshaw and Soke on the No. 3 court, 6-3, while Kirchhoff and Roensdorf experienced a similar fate in a 6-2 defeat to Bugailiskis and Erturk at No. 2. With doubles outcome no longer in question, Gjoels-Andersen and Martinez had their match halted after trailing 4-3 to Derkas and Patrik Pech at No. 1
UP NEXT
San Diego State will have little time to dwell on its loss, with Santa Clara paying a visit to The Mesa for a non-conference match on Saturday, starting at noon PT. Admission to all home Aztec tennis matches is free.
Fresno State 4, San Diego State 3
April 5, 2019
San Diego, Calif.
Aztec Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Zdenek Derkas/Patrik Pech (FS) vs. Sander Gjoels-Andersen/Ignacio Martinez (SDSU), 4-3, DNF
2. Mantas Bugailiskis/Cem Erturk (FS) def. Jan Kirchhoff/Fabian Roensdorf (SDSU), 6-2
3. Angus Bradshaw/Cagatay Soke (FS) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan/Arnaud Restifo (SDSU), 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 2
Fresno State wins doubles point
Singles
1. #114 Zdenek Derkas (FS) def. Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU), 7-5, 6-0
2. Angus Bradshaw (FS) def. Fabian Roensdorf (SDSU), 6-0, 5-7, 7-5
3. Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU) def. Mantas Bugailiskis (FS), 7-6(4), 6-4
4. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) def. Jeremy Moser (FS), 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4
5. Arnaud Restifo (SDSU) def. Cem Erturk (FS), 6-4, 6-1
6. Cagatay Soke (FS) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(3)
Order of finish: 5, 1, 3, 2, 4, 6*
* Match-clinching victory
M. Tennis Falls to Fresno State in Heartbreaker
