PALM DESERT, Calif. – The San Diego State men's tennis team's trio of Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice, Mathieu Josserand and Liam Spiers continued play in the National Collegiate Tennis Classic on Saturday. They played in four singles matches and one doubles match on the second day of the tournament in Palm Desert, California.
The lone Aztec remaining in the winner's bracket, seventh seeded Gonzalez Fitzmaurice began his Saturday in the quarterfinals against Nevada's second seeded Edgar Destouet. The higher seed was no match for the Aztec as Gonzalez Fitzmaurice cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win to advance to the semifinals, where he played the third seed, Yassine Smiej, of Loyola Marymount. The match wore on for over three hours. Gonzalez Fitzmaurice came extremely close to taking the first set but fell in the tiebreaker, 7-6 (8-6). He claimed the second set 6-4 but was bested in the third 6-2.
In doubles, second seeded Gonzalez Fitzmaurice and Spiers began play in the quarterfinals after a first round bye. They went up against Nevada's Edgar Destouet and Remy Tregoures. The Aztecs led 7-4 in the set to eight, but Nevada was able to come back and force a tiebreaker. The Wolf Pack carried that momentum into an early lead in the tiebreaker before SDSU stormed back to take a 6-4 lead of its own. The Aztecs led again 7-6 before finally closing it out on their fourth match point: 8-7 (9-7). The pair will play in the doubles semifinals at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
In his extra match, Spiers battled New Mexico State's Roko Stipetic and won in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.
Josserand also played an extra match but was bested 6-4, 6-2 by New Mexico State's Itay Feigin.
The National Collegiate Tennis Classic concludes tomorrow, Sunday, January 14.
National Collegiate Tennis Classic
Palm Desert, Calif.
San Diego State's Day Two Results
[7] Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) def. [2] Edgar Destouet (Nev) 6-0, 6-2
[3] Yassine Smiej (LMU) def. [7] Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-2
Liam Spiers (SDSU) def. Roko Stipetic (NMSU) 6-2, 6-3
Itay Feigin (NMSU) def. Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) 6-4, 6-2
[2] Gonzalez Fitzmaurice/Spiers (SDSU) def. Destouet/Tregoures (Nev) 8-7 (9-7)