PALM DESERT, Calif. – The San Diego State men's tennis team sent four players to Palm Desert, California, this weekend to take part in the National Collegiate Tennis Classic. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice, Mathieu Josserand, Andre Saleh and Liam Spiers made the trip following Thursday's 4-3 win over Brigham Young to open the 2024 season. They combined to compete in seven singles matches and one doubles match on Friday, the first day of the three-day tournament.
After playing both singles and doubles against Brigham Young, seventh seeded Gonzalez Fitzmaurice was back in action on Friday. He earned a first round bye before facing Nevada's Youssef Kadiri in the second round. He was dropped 6-1 in the first set but won the second 6-4 and the deciding tiebreaker 10-7 to advance in the winner's bracket.
In his first match, Josserand played Mathan Vassanth, of New Mexico State. Josserand trounced the Aggie 6-0, 6-1 to advance. He drew a tougher opponent in the next round: eighth seeded Paul Theate, of San Francisco. Theate claimed the first set 6-3. Josserand sent the second set into a tiebreaker but ran out of steam, falling 7-6 (7-2).
Also going up against a San Francisco Don, Saleh was on the other end of a similar score to his teammate. In his first-round matchup with Davide Cortimiglia, Saleh won in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). In the next round, he battled Nevada's sixth seeded Matheo Coupu but was bested 6-4, 6-1.
Spiers began his day against New Mexico State's Itay Feigan. He fell 6-1 in the first set but bounced back to take the second 7-5 and the third set tiebreaker 10-4 to survive and advance. His ensuing match was against the second seed in the tournament, Nevada's Edgar Destouet. The first set was down to the wire, but Destouet held on in the tiebreaker 7-6 (8-6). Spiers took the second 6-4 to stay alive but he was unable to pull off the upset, falling 10-5 in the tiebreaker.
In doubles, Josserand and Saleh faced New Mexico State's Gustavo Campos and Tobias Wallin but were dropped 8-3. Gonzalez and Spiers are the second seed and earned a bye in the first round.
The National Collegiate Tennis Classic continues tomorrow, Saturday, January 13.
National Collegiate Tennis Classic
Palm Desert, Calif.
San Diego State's Day One Results
[7] Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) def. Youssef Kadiri (Nev) 1-6, 6-4, 10-7
Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) def. Mathan Vassanth (NMSU) 6-0, 6-1
[8] Paul Theate (USF) def. Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
Andre Saleh (SDSU) def. Davide Cortimiglia (USF) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
[6] Matheo Coupu (Nev) def. Andre Saleh (SDSU) 6-4, 6-1
Liam Spiers (SDSU) def. Itay Feigan (NMSU) 1-6, 7-5, 10-4
[2] Edgar Destouet (Nev) def. Liam Spiers (SDSU) 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 10-5
Wallin/Campos (NMSU) def. Josserand/Saleh (SDSU) 8-3