SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's tennis team returns to action for a trio of matches this weekend when it plays host to UC San Diego in a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 26, starting at 10 a.m. PT, before welcoming UC Irvine to Aztec Tennis Center for a Sunday showdown at high noon on Feb. 28.
The Aztecs have dropped their first two encounters of the 2021 spring campaign, falling to Cal Poly at home by a 5-2 count on Feb. 4, followed by a 7-0 loss to No. 1 USC in Los Angeles on Feb. 7.
As new members of the Big West Conference, UCSD began a four-year transition from the NCAA Division II ranks to the Division I level last July. The Tritons will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play in time for the 2024-25 academic year.
San Diego State has emerged victorious in all nine of its previous encounters with UCSD, including a 6-1 triumph in the last meeting on Jan. 18, 2020, which was contested off-campus at The Santaluz Club in suburban San Diego County.
Rafael Gonzalez Almazan is the Aztecs' lone 2021 returner to post two wins in that match, joining forces with former teammate Jan Kirchhoff for a 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles over Zach Ermert and Marc Isaia, before dispatching Phillip Lan at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 6-2.
The Tritons, who have yet to compete this spring, were 9-4 in dual matches last season before the pandemic canceled the remainder of the 2020 campaign. ITA Scholar-Athlete Cody Duong was UCSD's big winner last year, logging a 9-1 dual-match record, including a 6-0 mark at No. 6 singles.
Meanwhile, UC Irvine (2-2) has split its first four matches, bookending victories over Loyola Marymount (4-3) on the road and Fresno State (5-2) at home around a pair losses to No. 1 USC (7-0) and San Diego (5-2) away from its home court.
San Diego State has won five straight meetings vs. the Anteaters and leads the all-time series 15-6 after recording a 5-2 triumph in Irvine on Feb. 1, 2020.
Ignacio Martinez was a double winner for the Scarlet and Black in that skirmish, teaming with Aaro Pollanen for a narrow 7-6(3) victory at No. 1 doubles, which gave the Aztecs the clinching point and an early 1-0 lead on the team scoreboard. Martinez was also SDSU's second player off the court in singles after toppling Mike Mkrtchian in the sixth position, 6-4, 6-2. For his efforts, the Weston, Florida, product captured Mountain West Player of the Week honors.
Bjorn Hoffman, a fifth-year transfer from Cal, owns a 3-1 record at No. 1 singles for UCI this spring, tying sophomore Matthew Sah for team-best honors. Sah has seen action at the fourth and fifth singles spots.
On Feb. 12, the Aztec men's and women's tennis programs paused all team-related in-person activities for 14 days out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of SDSU's student-athletes.
As a result, the SDSU men's team has rescheduled two home matches affected by the hiatus. Loyola Marymount will invade The Mesa on Wednesday, March 3, while UC Davis will venture to "America Finest City" two days later on Friday, Feb. 5. Both clashes are set for a 2 p.m. PT start at Aztec Tennis Center.