SAN DIEGO – San Diego State men’s tennis fell 4-2 to UC Irvine at the Aztec Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon. The Aztecs drop to 2-2, while the Anteaters advance to the same season record.
The Aztecs secured the doubles point over the Anteaters after taking courts one and two. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice and Denis Maijorov picked up the first win, defeating Max Fardanesh and Sohrob Amiryavari 6-3. UC Irvine evened the score on court three with Rithvik Krishna and Ruining Huang earning a 7-5 win over Liam Spiers and Louis Chusseau. Alexander Mandma and Mathieu Josserand clinched the point for the Aztecs, taking down Andy Nguyen and Noah Zamora in a 7-6 (5) thriller after winning three-straight points in the tiebreaker.
“[Clinching the doubles point] was a highlight,” said Head Coach Gene Carswell. “It was nice to see our guys rise to the occasion. UC Irvine always plays really strong doubles. They’re a team that we respect quite a bit in that realm.”
After a strong start, the Aztecs struggled to maintain the momentum through singles play, able to put only two more points on the board.
UCI won the top three courts to take a 3-1 lead. Krishna put the first point on the board for the Anteaters with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Chusseau on the third court. Zamora, who is ranked No. 31 in the nation in singles, put the Anteaters out front with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the top court matchup with Gonzalez Fitzmaurice. Philipp Bosse battled against Nguyen on court two, but came up short 6-1, 7-5 to the 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year.
Josserand dominated a must-win match against Huang, taking the fourth court 6-3, 6-1. It was the senior’s second win of the dual season at the No. 4 spot.
Fardanesh clinched the match for UCI, defeating Spiers 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 on the bottom court.
Choosing to play through, Mandma went on to earn a gritty three-set victory over Lawee Sherif on court three. The senior claimed the first set 6-4, but dropped the second 4-6, and ultimately rallied 6-4 to take the match and add a third point for the Aztecs.
“It’s always a tough one when you end up on the wrong side of a 4-3, but we’re continuing to grow and improve with our young group,” said Carswell. “These guys are showing a lot of positive signs. We’ve got a little bit of a break coming up here, and we’re going to use that time to our advantage to continue to improve and be ready to hit the ground running.”
The men’s tennis team will be back in action on Feb. 14, traveling to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber St. at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Singles
1. Noah Zamora (UCI) def. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. Andy Nguyen (UCI) def. Philipp Bosse (SDSU) 6-1, 7-5
3. Rithvik Krishna (UCI) def. Louis Chusseau (SDSU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) def. Ruining Huang (UCI) 6-3, 6-1
5. Alexander Mandma (SDSU) def. Lawee Sherif (UCI) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
6. Max Fardanesh (UCI) def. Liam Spiers (SDSU)6-3, 5-7, 6-2
Doubles
1. Alexander Mandma/Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) def. Andy Nguyen/Noah Zamora (UCI) 7-6 (5)
2. Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice/Denis Maijorov (SDSU) vs. Max Fardanesh/Sohrob Amiryavari (UCI) 6-3
3. Rithvik Krishna/Ruining Huang (UCI) def.Liam Spiers/Louis Chusseau (SDSU) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,1,2,4,6,5)