SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's tennis team opened its 2021 Mountain West slate on a sour note, falling to visiting Boise State by a 4-0 count Saturday at Aztec Tennis Center.
With the loss, SDSU drops its third straight match, slipping to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Broncos won their eighth in a row, improving to 10-1 on the season and 1-0 in the MW.
The two sides battled through a fiercely contested doubles round; however, the Aztecs suffered a heartbreaking loss in the No. 2 position, where Rafael Gonzalez Almazan and Ignacio Martinez were unable to close out the Boise State pairing of Michael Bott and Caden Moortgat, who prevailed in a tiebreaker, 7-6(4), after erasing a 5-2 deficit.
Earlier, the duo of Johannes Seeman and Victor Castro got past the Broncos' Blake Bayldon and Simon Arca Costas by a 6-4 tally at the No. 1 position.
With each side recording a victory, all eyes turned to the No. 3 court, where Aaro Pollanen and Roni Rikkonen were locked in a tight struggle with Lukas Ridemar and Luka Soskic, who escaped with a 7-5 decision, giving Boise State the 1-0 advantage on the team scoreboard.
SDSU tried to regroup in singles but was stymied in its comeback attempt.
In the No. 5 spot, Judson Blair was dealt a 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Bott, while Soskic ousted Castro in the fourth position, 7-5, 6-2.
Moments later, Gonzalez Almazan was upended by Arca Costas on the third court, 6-3, 6-2, giving the Broncos the necessary four points for the team victory.
With the outcome of Saturday's match no longer in doubt, the three remaining single encounters were suspended.
Seeman claimed the first set, 6-4, in his clash with Bayldon in the No. 1 spot before falling behind in the second, 5-4. In the third position, Martinez grabbed a 5-3 lead in the second set against Kyryll Kryvchun after dropping the first, 6-3. Meanwhile on the sixth court, Rikkonen was tied 4-4 in second set of his battle with Wyatt DeMulling after prevailing in the first, 6-4.
San Diego State resumes its non-conference schedule on Wednesday, March 17, when it welcomes Loyola Marymount to Aztec Tennis Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m. PT.
Boise State 4, San Diego State 0
March 13, 2021
Aztec Tennis Center
San Diego, Calif.
Doubles
1. Johannes Seeman/Victor Castro (SDSU) def. Blake Bayldon/ Simon Arca Costas (BSU), 6-4
2. Michael Bott/Caden Moortgat (BSU) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan/Ignacio Martinez (SDSU), 7-6(4)
3. Lukas Ridemar/Luka Soskic (BSU) def. Aaro Pollanen/ Roni Rikkonen (SDSU), 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Boise State wins doubles point
Singles
1. Johannes Seeman (SDSU) vs. Blake Bayldon (BSU), 6-4, 4-5, unfinished
2. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) vs. Kyryll Kryvchun (BSU), 3-6, 5-3, unfinished
3. Simon Arca Costas (BSU) def. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU), 6-3, 6-2
4. Luka Soskic (BSU) def. Victor Castro (SDSU), 7-5, 6-2
5. Michael Bott (BSU) def. Judson Blair (SDSU), 6-3, 6-1
6. Roni Rikkonen (SDSU) vs. Wyatt DeMulling (SDSU), 6-4, 4-4, unfinished
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3*
* - Match-clinching victory
Records: Boise State (10-1, 1-0 MW); San Diego State (2-5, 0-1 MW)