SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's tennis team honored its seniors on Saturday as it played its final regular season match of 2024. The Aztecs matched up with the Utah State Aggies, the first-place team in the Mountain West. SDSU dropped the doubles point and all three singles matches to finish in a 4-0 defeat.
The Scarlet and Black wrap up the year at 14-6 and 3-3 in conference while the Mountain West champion Aggies finish at 18-4 and 5-1 in Mountain West play.
"Utah State took it to us and deserved the win," Head Coach Gene Carswell had to say after the match. "We'll need to learn from today, hit the reset button and make adjustments going into the tournament."
In doubles, Robin Parts and Alexander Mandma (8-5) played on the second court and faced Sergi Mico Fenollar and Bodin Zarkovic. The Aztecs were bested 6-4. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice and Johannes Seeman (7-2) remained on the top court against Stijn Paardekooper and Nuno Pinheiro. They also fell 6-4 as the Aggies took the doubles point. Chikaya Sato and Bora Sengul (4-2) faced off against Mohammad Alkotop and David Martirosian on the third court. The Aztec pair trailed 5-3 when Utah State clinched the doubles point.
In singles, Seeman (4-13) faced Zarkovic on the top court. He was bested 6-3, 6-3 in straight sets.
In his match, Sato (8-10) went up against Fenollar on court No. 3. Sato kept things close in the first set but came up short 7-5. He was bested 6-2 in the second set as Fenollar earned the win.
Last week's Mountain West Player of the Week, Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (11-5) battled Alkotop. The Aztec was tripped up in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 as the Aggies clinched a win.
Three matches did not finish. Mandma (10-4) played on court No. 6 against Philipp Rein. Mandma won the first set 6-4 but trailed 4-3 in the second when the match concluded. On the fifth court, Parts (14-0) faced Pinheiro. He won 6-2 in the first set and was behind 5-4 in the second set at the end of the match. Sengul (7-6) played Paardekooper on court No. 2. Sengul sent the first set to a tiebreaker but came up short 7-6 (7-4). He trailed 4-1 in the second set when Utah State clinched the match.
San Diego State earned the fourth seed in the Mountain West Championships and will face fifth-seeded Nevada in the Quarterfinals at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, in Las Vegas.
Utah State 4, San Diego State 0
Aztec Tennis Center – San Diego, Calif.
April 20, 2024
Singles Competition
1. Bodin Zarkovic (USU) def. Johannes Seeman (SDSU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Stijn Paardekooper (USU) led Bora Sengul (SDSU) 7-6 (7-4), 4-1
3. Sergi Mico Fenollar (USU) def. Chikaya Sato (SDSU) 7-5, 6-2
4. Mohammad Alkotop (USU) def. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Robin Parts (SDSU) led Nuno Pinheiro (USU) 6-2, 4-5
6. Alexander Mandma (SDSU) led Philipp Rein (USU) 6-4, 3-4
Doubles Competition
1. Stijn Paardekooper/Nuno Pinheiro (USU) def. Johannes Seeman/Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) 6-4
2. Sergi Mico Fenollar/Bodin Zarkovic (USU) def. Robin Parts/Alexander Mandma (SDSU) 6-4
3. Mohammad Alkotop/David Martirosian (USU) led Chikaya Sato/Bora Sengul (SDSU) 5-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,3,4)
Aztecs Blanked by Utah State on Senior Day
