MALIBU, CALIF. – The San Diego State men's tennis team opened play in the ITA Southwest Regional Championships on Thursday in Malibu, California. Eight players from San Diego State won five of 13 singles matches on the first day of the tournament.
Starting the day off for the Aztecs, Alexander Mandma drew UC Irvine's Rithvik Krishna, a player who San Diego State's Mathieu Josserand and Robin Parts defeated in doubles in the UCSB Fall Classic earlier this season. Mandma took down Krishna in straight sets winning 6-4, 6-3. In the next round, he faced one of the 17th seeds, UCLA's Emon Van Loben Sels. Mandma was bested 6-4, 6-3.
Wisconsin transfer Robin Parts went up against UC Riverside's Lucas Ibarrondo Suarez and coasted to a 6-1, 6-2 victory to also advance to the next round. He, too, faced a Bruin, this time it was Spencer Johnson. Parts dropped the first set 6-1 but battled back to take the second 6-3. His comeback attempt came up shy when he was bested 6-4 in the third set.
Sophomore Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice dueled Arizona State's Roi Ginat. The Aztec came through, winning 6-2, 6-3 over the Sun Devil. In the next round, Gonzalez Fitzmaurice went up against 17th seeded Hiroki Sakagawa, of UC Irvine. Gonzalez Fitzmaurice jumped out to an early lead, taking the first set 6-4 but was unable to close out Sakagawa, dropping the ensuing sets 6-1, 6-0.
Entering the weekend with a perfect record, Liam Spiers faced Hawai'i's Guillaume Tattevin. Spiers came out on top in a tight first set 7-5 before Tattevin suffered an injury and forfeited the match. In the next round, Spiers drew 12th seeded Jorge Plans Gonzalez and was bested 6-2, 6-1.
A native of Newport Beach, California, Andre Saleh went up against Pepperdine's George Davis. Saleh kept things close in the first set but came up short 6-4 before dropping the second set 6-2. He faced 17th seeded Samuel Rubell, of USC, in the consolation bracket, where Rubell was forced to withdraw due to an injury.
Chikaya Sato drew Hawai'i's Quinn Snyder. He fell by the same score as Saleh, 6-4, 6-2.
Junior Mathieu Josserand went up against Pepperdine's Linus Carlsson Halldin. The first set went to a tiebreaker, which Josserand was able to win 7-6 (7-3). He kept the following sets close but could not find another victory, dropping them 6-3, 7-5.
Making his first singles appearance in a year, Lenny Melzer faced Pable Carretero Salvador, of Grand Canyon. Melzer came up short 6-2, 6-3.
The ITA Southwest Regional Championships continue tomorrow. You can follow all the action on the ITA website: https://colleges.wearecollegetennis.com/competitions/PepperdineUniversityM/Tournaments/overview/C34CAB87-8EF1-4C91-950D-1721A90567DC
ITA Southwest Regional Championships
Malibu, Calif.
San Diego State's Day One Results
Quinn Snyder (UH) def. Chikaya Sato (SDSU) 6-4, 6-2
Alexander Mandma (SDSU) def. Rithvik Krishna (UCI) 6-4, 6-3
[17] Emon Van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. Alexander Mandma (SDSU) 6-4, 6-1
Robin Parts (SDSU) def. Lucas Ibarrondo Suarez (UCR) 6-1, 6-2
Spencer Johnson (UCLA) def. Robin Parts (SDSU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Linus Carlsson Halldin (PEP) def. Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-5
Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) def. Roi Ginat (ASU) 6-2, 6-3
[17] Hiroki Sakagawa (UCI) def. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
Liam Spiers (SDSU) def. Guillaume Tattevin (UH) 7-5, Ret. (Inj.)
[12] Jorge Plans Gonzalez (UCLA) def. Liam Spiers (SDSU) 6-2, 6-1
Pablo Carretero Salvador (GCU) def. Lenny Melzer (SDSU) 6-2, 6-3
George Davis (PEP) def. Andre Saleh (SDSU) 6-4, 6-2
Andre Saleh (SDSU) def. [17] Samuel Rubell (USC) Wd (Inj.)