MALIBU, Calif. – The San Diego State men's tennis team won four singles and one doubles match on Friday, the second day of the ITA Southwest Regional Championships on the campus of Pepperdine University.
The entire Aztecs roster is competing in the tournament, but only five singles players and two doubles pairs competed on Friday, playing a combined six singles and three doubles matches.
Andre Saleh played an extra match against UC Irvine's Lawee Sherif and dropped a hard-fought first set but bounced back to take the second and third and earn a 5-7, 6-4, 10-8 victory.
Much like his teammate, Bora Sengul fell in the first set, but came back to win two straight, beating Hawai'i's Andy Hernandez 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.
In the consolation bracket, Johannes Seeman faced off against Diego Castillo, of UC Santa Barbara, and easily closed it out with a 6-1, 6-3 win. In the round of 32, after losing the first set, Seeman was a force to be reckoned with in the deciding third as he completed the comeback against UC Irvine's Ali Amiri with a 3-6, 6-4, 10-0 win. In the consolation round of 16, No. 32-seeded Seeman will battle No. 29-seeded Luka Mrsic, of UC Santa Barbara.
Mathieu Josserand sent his match to the winner-take-all third set, but ultimately could not complete the comeback against Cal Poly's Zachary Pellouchoud in a 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 loss.
Reigning NAIA West Region Rookie of the Year Liam Spiers faced Loyola Marymount's Arthur Craig Pantino in the consolation bracket and was bested by the Lion 7-5, 6-0.
In doubles, Sengul and Chikaya Sato drew USC's duo of Wojtek Marek and Samuel Rubell in the round of 32 but fell 8-4.
After a first-round bye, No. 13-seeded Seeman and Alexander Mandma teamed up to face Cal Poly's tandem of Benjamin Keyser and Carter Crookston. The Scarlet and Black partners fought their way to an 8-4 win. They were not as successful in the round of 16 against the third seeded pairing of Kai Brady and Phillip Jordan, of UC Santa Barbara, as the Gauchos ended up on top 8-6.
You can follow the action on the ITA website: https://bit.ly/3VKIEZg
Live Streams are also available: https://bit.ly/2PQow4V
The ITA Southwest Regional Championships continue tomorrow, Saturday Oct. 22.
ITA Southwest Regional Championships
Malibu, Calif.
Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center, Pepperdine University
San Diego State's Day Two Singles Results
Johannes Seeman (SDSU) def. Diego Castillo (UCSB) 6-1, 6-3
Johannes Seeman (SDSU) def. Ali Amiri (UCI) 3-6, 6-4, 10-0
Bora Sengul (SDSU) def. Andy Hernandez (Hawai'i) 3-6, 6-3, 10-5
Zachary Pellouchoud (Cal Poly) def. Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) 4-6, 6-4, 10-4
Arthur Craig Pantino (LMU) def. Liam Spiers (SDSU) 7-5, 6-0
Andre Saleh (SDSU) def. Lawee Sherif (UCI) 5-7, 6-4, 10-8
San Diego State's Day Two Doubles Results
Seeman/Mandma (SDSU) def. Keyser/Crookston (Cal Poly) 8-4
Brady/Jordan (UCSB) def. Seeman/Mandma (SDSU) 8-6
Marek/Rubell (USC) def. Sato/Sengul (SDSU) 8-4